Dirce lunaris Meyrick, 1890

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

Dirce lunaris Meyrick (Figs 16–21)

(type species)

Oviposition

10♀ code nos.: G105­7, G115, G117, G308­11, G325.

Oviposition period: 2–22 Dec.

Batch size: 22.6 ± 4.3 range: 4–60 (n = 19)

Mean fecundity: 42.9 ± 8.4 (range: 4–90)

Incubation time (days) (n=14): 11.1 ± 0.6

Batch configuration and attachment: Loose.

Colour: Very pale green, becoming darker at poles, then pink with darker streaks, transparent on maturity (Fig. 16).

Size (mm): (n=15) L = 0.81 ± 0.01, W = 0.60 ± 0.00, T = 0.50 ± 0.01

Width/length: 0.75

No. of females: 3

Aeropylar opening size (m) (n=4): L = 0.31 ± 0.05, W = 0.27 ± 0.02.

Relative aeropylar opening size: 0.4

Micropyles: Distinct (Figs 17 & 18)

No. of openings: 4

No. of cells in rosette: 5

No. of rows of cells in micropylar area: 4

Shape: Moderately broad, bluntly ovoid, truncated anterior pole, dorso­ventrally flattened; anterior pole slightly angled to horizontal axis (Figs 16, 17 & 19).

Characteristics: Egg marked on all surfaces by hexagonal, flat cells, cell form on wider top side, barely discernible (Figs 19–21), micropylar cell walls narrow, shallowly reticulated (Figs 17 & 18). Aeropyles very inconspicuous, very small, openings extremely small, present on all surfaces (Fig. 21). Rosette, secondary cells recessed (Figs 17 & 18). Chorion smooth, undulating (Fig. 21).