Emphylica xanthocrossa Turner, 1913

Chen, Kai, Liu, Qingming, Jin, Jianhua & Zhang, Dandan, 2019, Revision of the genus Emphylica Turner, 1913 based on morphology and molecular data (Lepidoptera, Crambidae, Pyraustinae), ZooKeys 836, pp. 113-133 : 113

Emphylica xanthocrossa Turner, 1913 Figs 5, 15, 19, 23, 24

Emphylica xanthocrossa Turner, 1913: 159.

Material examined.

Type material. Holotype, ♀: AUSTRALIA, Northern Territory: P[ort]. Darwin, Nov.[19]08, leg. F.P. Dodd, genitalia slide no. P232 (ANIC).

Other material examined

(ANIC). AUSTRALIA, Northern Territory: 1♂, 16.19S, 136.05E, 36 km SW of Borroloola, NT, 4.Nov.1975, leg. E.D. Edwards, K. Maes Gen. Prep. nr.: 20741; genitalia slide no. ANIC18161; 1♂, 16.10S, 136.15E, Goose Lagoon, 11 km SW by S Borroloola, NT, 31.Oct.1975, E.D. Edwards leg.; 1♂, Humpty Doo, N.T., Light Trap, 10.Nov.1959, E.B. Boerema leg.; 2♂, 16.40S, 135.51E, Bessie Spring, 8 km ESE of Cape Crawford, NT, 26.Otc.1975, E.D. Edwards leg., genitalia slide no. P707; 1♀, 16.41S, 135.44E, Cape Crawford road junction, NT, 29.Mar.1995, E.D. Edwards and M. Matthews leg.; Queensland: 1♂, 15.45S, 144.15E, 2 km NNW of Jowabinna, 17.I.1994, E.D. Edwards and P. Zborowski leg., genitalia slide no. ANIC21185; 1♀, 12.42S, 142.30E, Moonlight creek, QLD, 13.Nov.1993, at light, P. Zborowski and M. Horak leg., K. Maes Gen. Prep. nr.: 20742, genitalia slide no. ANIC18162; 1♂, 12.40S, 142.40E, Batavia Downs, QLD, 22-23.Nov.1992, at light, P. Zborowski and A. Calder leg.; 1♂, 12.40S, 142.41E, Batavia Downs, QLD, 11.Dec.1992, at light, P. Zborowski and W. Dressler leg.; Western Australia: 1♀, 15.77S, 128.75E, Hidden Valley, Kununurra, III.2016, P.M. Heath leg., genitalia slide no. ANIC21184, molecular voucher no. SYSU-LEP0307; 1♂, Kunnunurra, W.A., 9.Apr.1962, I.F.B. Common leg.; 1♂, Wyndham, W.A.,?.?.[19]30, T.G. Campbell leg.; 1♂, 16.10S, 128.23E, nr Dunham River crossing, WA, 6.Apr.1995, E.D. Edwards and M. Matthews leg.

Diagnosis.

Emphylica xanthocrossa resembles E. crassihamata and E. cruoralis in the saffron fringe, the conical frons and the U-shaped juxta. It can be best distinguished from its congeners by the smaller wingspan (less than 15 mm), the triangular saffron spot on the forewing costa postmedially, the smoky brown subterminal margin of the hindwing, in male genitalia by the distally concave uncus, the spinulose ventral sella, the absence of a dorsal process on the sacculus, the larger juxta, the broad and slightly sinuate phallus and the ductus ejaculatorius originating from the middle of the phallus. In female genitalia, the antrum is moderately sclerotized, bottle-shaped, the two opposing angles of the signum without carinae are short, whereas in E. diaphana , E. crassihamata and E. cruoralis the antrum is strongly sclerotized and the two opposing angles of the signum without carinae are almost as long as the other two.

Redescription

(Figs 5, 15). Head. Frons and vertex pale yellowish brown, frons with cream white stripe laterally. Antenna brown, cilia in male less than half width of corresponding flagellomeres. Labial palpus brown and pale yellow alternately with white scales at base, pale yellow at tip. Maxillary palpus yellowish brown. Thorax. Pale yellow dorsally, whitish ventrally. Foreleg: yellow except distally white tibia and alternately yellow and white tarsi. Midleg: pale yellow, tibia and tarsi white ventrally; inner spur about twice as long as the outer one. Hindleg: yellowish white; basal outer spur reduced; apical inner spur about 3 × as long as apical outer spur. Wingspan 13-14 mm. Forewing reddish brown, with a large triangular to sub-quadrate saffron spot on costa postmedially, a small saffron spot at base of dorsum and a semi-oval saffron patch at termen near tornus; antemedial and postmedial lines almost invisible except near dorsum; costal margin pale brown except at yellow spot; terminal margin mixed with saffron; fringe saffron; underside as upper side but paler, translucent at dorsum. Hindwing with costal margin translucent white to 2/3 of costa; termen arched to 1/2 then strongly oblique to tornus; distal third smoky brown except for saffron terminal area from apex to 1A; below posterior angle of cell covered with few brown scales, and a triangular patch of brown scales near tornus; remainder pale yellow; fringe as in forewing except brown near tornus; underside pale yellow. Abdomen. Dorsally covered with saffron scales, whitish ventrally, apical margin of segments tinged with yellowish white. Male genitalia (Fig. 19). Uncus with lateral margin slightly bulging at base, then gradually narrowed to concave apex, setose on distal third. Valva evenly wide in middle, tapering to rounded apex; transtilla triangular; costal sclerotized band wide, slightly curved to 2/3 of dorsal margin; sacculus broad, distal half moderately expanded; dorsal sella sub-rectangular; ventral sella triangular, slightly flexed and curved, spinulose, distally blunt. Juxta large U-shaped with two strongly sclerotized, curved, tapering distal arms, thickened basally and medially divided. Phallus tubular, slightly sinuate, approximately 1.1 × length of valva, distal fourth spinulose, apically with dense, teeth-like spines ventrally; ductus ejaculatorius originating from middle of phallus; vesica with bundle of interlaced spicules. Female genitalia (Fig. 23). Posterior apophysis long and slender, approximately 4/5 as long as anterior apophysis. Anterior apophysis with triangular expansion near basal third. Antrum moderately sclerotized, bottle-shaped, slightly bulging medially. Ductus bursae slender, approximately 1.4 × as long as diameter of corpus bursae; colliculum slightly narrowed medially. Corpus bursae globular; rhombic signum small, maximal length approximately 1/3 as long as diameter of corpus bursae, with two distally pointed opposing angles bearing carina disconnected medially, other two angles small, indistinct.

Distribution

(Fig. 24). Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia).