Mnesampela privata Guenée, 1858

Young, Catherine J., 2006, Descriptions of the eggs of some southern Australian Geometridae (Lepidoptera), Zootaxa 1287, pp. 1-294 : 1-294

Mnesampela privata Guenée (Figs 303–310)

(type species)

Oviposition

3♀ Code no.: G13, G139, G445.

Period of oviposition: 20 Feb.–18 Jun.

Batch size: 2030 (n = 4)

Note: Other authors have reported larger batch sizes:

Elliott & Bashford (1978) up to 300, mean = 75.4 ± 11.2;

McFarland (1988) up to 68.

This may reflect differences in fecundity under laboratory conditions compared to natural conditions.

Realised fecundity (range): 30–70

Incubation time (days): 13–15

Batch configuration and attachment: Attached, large groups.

Note: In nature, two or more clutches of eggs are often laid on the same leaf, a characteristic most likely related to the outbreak characteristics of the species (Steinbauer et al. 2001).

Colour: Yellowish­green to pale green, becoming pale green blotched sparsely in greyish­brown, greyish­brown on maturity (Fig. 303).

Size (mm): (n=14) L = 0.74 ± 0.01, W = 0.56 ± 0.00, T = 0.540 ± 0.01

Width/length: 0.75

No. of females: 2

Aeropylar opening size (m) (n=5): L = 3.24 ± 0.12, W = 2.63 ± 0.10

Relative aeropylar opening size: 4.4

Micropyles: Distinct (Figs 304 & 305)

No. of openings: obscure

No. of cells in rosette: 6

No. of rows of cells in micropylar area: 3

Shape: Moderately broad, bluntly ovoid; anterior polar profile oval; dorso­ventrally flattened; anterior pole angled slightly to horizontal axis (Figs 303, 304, 306 & 307); wedge­shaped in profile (Fig. 307).

Characteristics: Egg marked all over by flat hexagonal cells, but cell form barely discernible on top side of egg (Figs 304, 306 & 307). Cell walls generally moderately broad (Figs 308 & 309); micropylar cell walls narrow, shallowly reticulated; primary, secondary cells slightly recessed (Fig. 305). Aeropyles elevated, slightly domed, arranged in pairs at cell junctions on narrow lateral sides, openings moderately large (Fig. 309); present on all surfaces apart from middle of top of egg (Figs 306 & 309). Chorion shallowly wrinkled (Figs 308–310).