Paralaea Guest, 1887

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

Paralaea Guest (Figs 311–351)

Thirteen species represent this genus that is widely distributed in southern Australia and is fully described in McQuillan et al. 2001. The eggs of seven species are described. Paralaea eggs largely conform in appearance apart from the rather atypical tasmanica . They are narrow and elongated to broad and bluntly ovoid in shape and almost always laid in a shingled arrangement. Laterally the eggs appear wedge­shaped and the posterior pole is usually sub­acute. Hexagonal, usually slightly convex cells uniformly mark the surface, although in tasmanica the cell form is markedly convex. The cells in the middle of the top of the wide side of the eggs are generally concave. Cell walls are narrow and recessed or only faintly discernible. The primary and secondary micropylar cells are recessed and micropylar cell walls are narrow and usually slightly elevated. Aeropyles are inconspicuous being unelevated and irregularly shaped with small to moderately large openings and absent from the middle of the top of the egg. The anterior pole is usually slightly angled to the micopylar axis and the micropyles off­centred. The chorion is uniformly rough, densely pitted and wrinkled or ridged. Paralaea eggs are similar in appearance to those of Fisera and Mnesampela in terms of shape, cell form, aeropyle morphology and the contrasting form of the cells in the middle of the top of the wide side of the egg and there is also some resemblance to Plesanemma McQuillan and Thalaina Walker (see below). The eggs of P. ochrosoma (type species) were illustrated by McFarland (1988) and resemble the other Paralaea species in general form and configuration.