Synemon angustiptera Kallies & Edwards, 2020

Kallies, Axel, Edwards, Edward D. & Williams, Andrew A. E., 2020, New and little-known sun-moth species from Australia (Lepidoptera, Castniidae), Zootaxa 4895 (2), pp. 151-195 : 179-184

Synemon angustiptera Kallies & Edwards sp. n.

Narrow-winged Sun-moth

Figs 57–60 , 63 , 66 , 71

Literature: Williams et al. 2016: 127–128, figs 34, 35 (as ‘ Synemon sp. Ravensthorpe’).

Material examined. Holotype: Ƌ ‘ 33.36S 120.18E 26 km E of Ravensthorpe WA 10 Jan 1993 GPS E.D. Edwards E.S. Nielsen’ ( ANIC) . Paratypes: 1 Ƌ, Sheoaks Hill W Israelite Bay, 33.38S 123.40E, 8.i.1993, E.D. Edwards, E.S. Nielsen’ ( Figs 57, 58 ) ( ANIC) ; 3♀, 26 km E Ravensthorpe , 33.36S 120.18E, 6.i.1993, E.D. Edwards ( ANIC) ; 1Ƌ, 3♀, 26 km E Ravensthorpe , 33.36S 120.18E, 10.i.1993, E.D. Edwards, E.S. Nielsen ( Figs 59, 60 , 63 , 66 , genitalia and leg slides 13046, 16581, 18531) ( ANIC) ; 4Ƌ, Mount Ragged , 17.xii.1995, M.S. & B.J. Moulds, K.A. Kapeston-sky ( AMS) ; 5Ƌ, 5♀, Israelite Bay , Old Telegraph line Tk, 3326.291’S 12358.929’E, 11.i.2014. D.J. Hilton (genitalia slide AK858, CAK, WAM) ; 9Ƌ, 1♀, Nuytsland Nat. Res. , 14 km W Israelite Bay, 3338’34 S 12342 ’38E, 5.i.2015, A.A.E. Williams ( WAM) ; 1Ƌ, 1♀, Nuytsland Nat. Res. , Gora Rd, 3338’ 37.6 S 12342’ 42.3E, 3.i.2015, A.A.E. Wil-liams ( WAM) ; 9Ƌ, 5♀, Nuytsland Nat. Res. , Telegraph Tk, 3326’17.0 S 12358 ’55.9E, 1.i.2015 (1♀), 3334’07.8 S 12356 ’25.3E, 4.i.2015 (8 Ƌ, 4♀), 3324’30.9 S 12359 ’12.3E, 4.i.2015 (1 Ƌ), A.A.E. Williams ( WAM, ANIC) .

Etymology. The species’ name is derived from the Latin angustus (narrow, strait) and the Greek ptero (wing) and relates to the characteristic wing shape.

Description. Male ( Figs 57, 58 ). Alar expanse 35–40 mm, forewing length 18–19 mm, body length 17–19 mm. Head, vertex with dark grey piliform and lamellar scales, frons with projecting piliform and lamellar scales grey, labial palpi appressed to head reaching frons, white, haustellum present, coiled, not well developed, antenna black narrowly annulated with white scales, distal few flagellomeres black above and white beneath, club black above, white proximally beneath, expanding abruptly, nudum 9 orange brown on anterior third of club, apiculus scaled short narrow. Thorax robust, above dark grey, of mixed piliform and broad lamellar scales, a narrow collar of scales, small lateral tufts of long grey scales from metathorax, beneath grey, legs grey above, pale grey beneath, epiphysis clothed in short spines, rounded at tip, terminating well short of end of foretibia. Abdomen: stout, dark grey above, posterior half with orange brown scales, T2, T3 with numerous long grey scales, beneath grey, tinged with orange scales laterally.

Forewing costa very slightly arched at base, straight, apex sharply rounded, termen rounded, and angled inwards, inner margin almost straight. Upperside dark grey with markings of black and white, entire wing with scattered pale grey scales; basal third of wing dark grey, a median black band from costa to inner margin indistinct, broad and distinct about CuA2 where angled inwards and outlined by pale grey scales, narrowing posteriorly and slightly angled outwards near inner margin, a round white spot ant end of cell, a broad black patch at two thirds costa and extending from costa to CuA1, broadest at costa, a band of ill-defined white-centred grey subapical spots from R2 to M3, postmedian area between CuA2 and 1A+2A with scattered pale grey scales, a submarginal band of discrete black spots between R2 and 1A+2A, margin dark grey. Cilia dark grey. Underside black with white and orange-red markings; basal half black with scattered orange-red scales, a broad orange-red median band from costa to inner margin, white centred at end of cell, proximal edge displaced at M3, an orange-red subapical band from R2 to M3, white nearest costa and some white in centre, a submarginal band of discrete ill-defined orange-red spots between the veins from apex to inner margin, anterior three or four spots white, posterior orange ones very ill-defined, not fusing with subapical band and not fusing with median band, a terminal black line. Cilia dark grey.

Hindwing termen evenly rounded, slightly flattened in tornal area. Upperside black with orange-red spots; large orange-red spot at distal end of cell, a median broad red unbroken band extending from Sc+R1 to 1A+2A, inner margin notched inwards at M3, outer margin slightly indistinct, a submarginal band of orange-red spots from M3 to 1A+2A, anal area black basally, with the tornal orange-red spot separated from the median orange-red band. Cilia black, without orange at apex or tornus. Underside black partly obscured by orange-red spots; basal half of wing orange, with a black bar at end of cell and joined to an orange spot at distal end of cell, narrowly running into median band, a broad median band of orange-red from Rs to 1A+2A narrow and with some white centres near apex, sometimes running into submarginal row of spots, a submarginal row of orange-red spots from Sc+R1 to 1A+2A, spots anterior to M3 small and white, a narrow black terminal line, anal area broadly orange, tornal spot orange-red. Cilia dark grey, without orange scales near apex and tornus.

Female ( Figs 59, 60 ). Alar expanse 36–45 mm. Very similar to male, larger, apex more rounded, wings slightly broader, coloration similar to male. The long ovipositor is easily observed.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 63 ). Uncus long, apically rounded, with short setae; gnathos arms with triangular sclerotisations beside anal tube; tegumen short and wide; valva narrow and angular, with prominent upturned spine at tip, with numerous short setae; phallus moderately long, well sclerotized, narrow and broadening anteriorly, strongly and evenly curved, apically very narrow and pointed, anteriorly with phallobase slightly recurved; ductus ejaculatorius longer than phallus, with numerous coils.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 66 ). Papillae anales short pointed sclerotized; ovipositor long, fairly narrow, extensible, sclerotized, with stout lateral hairs towards tip, numerous fine setae near base; apophyses long, heavily sclerotized, apophyses anteriores about half length of apophyses posteriores which extend from the tip of the papillae; sinus vaginalis large, with some sclerotized thickening; ostium bursae at posterior edge of S7; ductus seminalis from shortly before ostium, some thickening of ductus bursae at junction; ductus bursae long narrow coiled; corpus bursae large, spherical, with single scobinate signum.

Diagnosis. This species belongs to the S. magnifica group of species. Compared to the other species in the S. magnifica group, S. angustiptera sp. n. has relatively narrow valvae, a very rounded uncus tip and a narrow apically pointed phallus. In the female, it differs by the simple signum (bilobed in all other species, with the exception of S. ignita which is lacking a signum).

Variation. The specimens do not show much variation in size but they vary in the colour of the orange-red markings, ranging from deeper red to more orange in colour.

Distribution. This sun-moth is known from only a few localities west and east of Esperance. It occurs slightly inland, 26 km east of Ravensthorpe, at Fields Nature Reserve north of Stokes Inlet (Williams et al. 2016), and at Sheoaks Hill and Mount Ragged in Cape Arid National Park. The easternmost sub-population is located in Nuytsland Nature Reserve north-east of Israelite Bay.

Habitat and Biology ( Fig. 71 ). Almost all S. angustiptera sp. n. specimens have been recorded during the first half of January. However, a small series, collected at Mount Ragged on 17 December 1995, indicates that the spe-cies flies earlier at more-inland sites. The holotype was collected in a gravel scrape for road works on a low ridge in open mallee scrub, on soil derived from laterite. Adults were flying in the open scrape area, through the mallee, and across the road. The specimen from Sheoaks Hill was in open mallee and heathland above the point where the Israelite Bay to Mt Ragged road ascends the low escarpment.

The larval food plant is Hook-leaf Saw Sedge, Gahnia ancistrophylla Benth. (Cyperaceae) (Williams et al. 2016). North-east of Israelite Bay, this sun-moth occurs alongside a series of saline lakes, where the vegetation is a Melaleuca sp. dominated shrubland with an understory of G. ancistrophylla . This vegetation association grows in shallow white sand overlying pavement limestone. Females were observed ovipositing on regenerating sedges alongside the old telegraph track, where empty pupal exuviae were also collected (Williams et al. 2016).

Remarks. This species was referred to as Synemon sp. ‘Ravensthorpe’, the Narrow-winged Sun-moth, by Williams et al. (2016).

Figures

FIGURES 57–60. Synemon angustiptera sp. n., upperside (left), underside (right). 57, 58. Ƌ, paratype, Israelite Bay (ANIC). 59, 60. ♀, paratype, Ravensthorpe (ANIC).

FIGURES 61–63. Synemon species, male genitalia. 61. Synemon semaphora sp. n., paratypes, a. Lateral view, right valva removed. b. Valva. c. Unrolled. d. Phallus (genitalia slides 11843, 11844) (ANIC). 62. Synemon petrophila sp. n., paratype, a. Unrolled. b. Phallus (genitalia slide 11801) (ANIC). 63. Synemon angustiptera sp. n., paratype, a. Unrolled. b. Phallus (genitalia slide 16581) (ANIC).

FIGURES 64–67. Synemon species, female genitalia. Signum (left), anterior part (middle), posterior part (right). 64. Synemon semaphora sp. n., paratype (genitalia slide 13052). 65. Synemon petrophila sp. n., paratype (genitalia slide 13066) (ANIC). 66. Synemon angustiptera sp. n., paratype (genitalia slide 13046) (ANIC). 67. Synemon cacumina sp. n., paratype (genitalia slide 13063) (ANIC).

FIGURES 68–72. Synemon habitat and biology. 68. Synemon semaphora sp. n., larval food-plant, Mesomelaena tetragona, Jar- rahdale. 69. Synemon semaphora sp. n., resting pair, Mt Dale. 70. S. semaphora sp. n., habitat, Jarrah Marri open woodland over large semaphore sedge Mesomelaena tetragona, Metro Road, off Brookton Highway. 71. Synemon angustiptera sp. n., pupal exuviae at base of Gahnia ancistrophylla, Israelite Bay. 72. Synemon petrophila sp. n., resting, Blue Rock, Jarrahdale.