Synemon crocea 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 : 162-169

Synemon crocea Kallies & Edwards sp. n.

Orange-banded Sun-moth

Figs 23–26 , 31 , 33 , 36, 37, 41, 42

Literature: Strand 1911a: 2, pl. 9 (misidentified as Synemon heliopis Meyrick ); Strand 1911b: 142 (misidentified as Synemon heliopis Meyrick ); Williams et al. 2016: 114–116, figs 22, 23 (as ‘ Synemon sp. Yarloop’).

Material examined. Holotype: Ƌ, ‘ Leeming, W.A. 15 Oct. 1982 H. Bollam’ ( ANIC) . Paratypes: 2Ƌ, 1♀, Yarloop , 8.xi.1948, F.E. Wilson ( Fig. 31b, c , genitalia slide 11855) ( ANIC) ; 1Ƌ, Perth , Koondoola, 1.x.1989, M.R. Williams ( ANIC) ; 1Ƌ, Mundaring , 22.x.1985, M.R. Williams ( ANIC) ; 2Ƌ, Perth , Warwick, 24.x.1986, R.W. Hay ( ANIC) ; 2Ƌ, Leeming , 15.x.1982, H. Bollam ( ANIC, WAM) ; 2Ƌ, 1♀, 13 km NNE Bunbury , 4.xi.1993, M.R. Williams ( Figs 31a, d , 33 , genitalia slides 13071, 11856, 13070) ( ANIC) ; 1Ƌ, Koondoola Res. , 3130’ S 11545 ’E, 18.x.1999, D.P.A. Sands ( ANIC) ; 1Ƌ, 5 km N Australind , 27.x.2008, K.L. Dunn ( Figs 23, 24 ) ( ANIC) ; 1Ƌ, 12 km N Muchea , 17.x.2008,A.A. Williams ( ANIC) ; 11Ƌ, 2♀, Jandakot , 2.xi.1975, M. Powell ( WAM) ; 1Ƌ, 8 km N Cataby , 26.ix.1988, D.K. Yeates ( WAM) ; 1Ƌ, South Perth , 4.x.2010 ( WAM) ; 1Ƌ, South Perth , 14.x.1976, J. Moulden ( WAM) ; 4Ƌ, 2♀, Boonanarring Nat. Res. , 3022’00.13”S, 11528’47.54”E, 23.x.2009 (1Ƌ), 3112’41.4” S 11554 ’34.4”E, 15.x.2011 (1Ƌ), 3112’17.2” S 11554 ’35.7”E, 15.x.2011 (2♀), A.A.E Williams ( WAM) ; 12Ƌ, 2♀, Boonanarring Nat. Res. , 3112’24.6” S 11554 ’35.5”E, 6.x.2012, F. Hort & J. Hort ( WAM) ; 9Ƌ, 6♀, Brand HWY, 2 km North Moore River N.P., 3101’04.6” S 11543 ’12.4”E, 7.x.2010 (8Ƌ, 5♀), 15.x.2011 (1Ƌ, 1♀), A.A.E Williams ( WAM) ; 8Ƌ, 1♀, Brand HWY, 37 km N Muchea, 3116’07” S 11550 ’12”E, 8.x.2018, A.A.E Williams ( WAM) ; 3Ƌ, Bullsbrook Nat. Res. , 3137’56.5” S 11601 ’12.0”E, 8.x.2018, A.A.E Williams ( WAM) ; 8Ƌ, Bullsbrook , Chequers Cons. Res., 3138’00” S 11601 ’11”E, 11.x.2018, A.A.E Williams ( WAM) ; 1Ƌ, 1♀, 13km NNE Bunbury , 4.xi.1993, M.R. Williams ( WAM) ; 19Ƌ, 1♀, Bunbury , Manea Park Nat. Res., 3322’46” S 11539 ’51.5”E, 3.xi.2018 (5Ƌ), 24.x.2019 (9Ƌ), 24.x.2020 (2Ƌ, 1♀), A.A.E Williams ( WAM) ; 1Ƌ, Moore River N.P., 3322’46” S 11543 ’45.4”E, 25.x.2013, A.A.E Williams ( WAM) ; 2Ƌ, 1♀, Great Northern HWY, Muchea, 3130’35.9” S 11602 ’13.4”E, 21.x.2011, A.A.E Williams ( Figs 25, 26 ) ( WAM, ANIC) ; 1♀, Great Northern HWY opp. Maddern Rd, Muchea, 3131’12.4” S 11601 ’57.6”E, 21.x.2011, A.A.E Williams ( WAM) ; 10Ƌ, Ioppolo Nat. Res. , 3128’29” S 11559 ’55”E, 24.x.2017 (4Ƌ), 3128’30” S 11559 ’56”E, 8.x.2018 (1#), 3128’32” S 11600 ’00”E, 9.x.2018 (5Ƌ), A.A.E Williams ( WAM, CAK) ; 4Ƌ, 2♀, 12 km N Muchea , 17.x.2008, A.A.E Williams ( WAM) ; 17Ƌ, 5♀, Ioppolo Rd , Muchea, 3128’44.1” S 11559 ’54.6”E, 1.x.2010, A.A.E Williams ( WAM, ANIC) ; 7Ƌ, Muchea , Reserve Rd, 3128’58.4” S 11559 ’55.6”E, 1.x.2010 (2Ƌ), 3131’56.6” S 11600 ’13.6”E, 21.x.2011 (5M), A.A.E Williams ( WAM, CAK) ; 1Ƌ, 1♀, Muchea , Sugargum Drive, 3131’04.6” S 11601 ’43.7”E, 15.x.2011, A.A.E Williams ( WAM) ; 1Ƌ, Perth , Erina Rd Bushland, 2.xi.2009, T. Gamblin, C.L. Bishop, M.R. Williams ( WAM) ; 1♀, Perth , Gnangara, Telstra Bushland, 3148.449’S 11552.620’E, 10.x.2003, A.A.E Williams ( WAM) ; 10Ƌ, Perth , Jandabup, Damian Park, 3145’06” S 11551 ’21”E, 15.x.2018, A.A.E Williams ( WAM) ; 1Ƌ, Perth , Koondoola Bushland, 12.x.2008, A.A.E Williams ( WAM) ; 3Ƌ, 3♀, Landsdale Cons. Res. , 3149’10.2” S 11550 ’53.7”E, 18.x.2012,A.A.E Williams ( WAM) ; 4Ƌ, 4♀, Perth , Marangaroo Cons.Res.,3149’29.5” S 11550 ’08.5”E, 7.x.2011 (2Ƌ, 1♀), 16.x.2011 (1Ƌ, 1♀), 3149’44” S 11550 ’08”E, 14.x.2017 (1♀), 3149’30.5” S 11550 ’09”E, 17.x.2018, (1Ƌ, 1♀), A.A.E Williams ( WAM) ; 1♀, Perth , Pinjar, Cypress Rd, 3135’18” S 11547 ’20”E, 2.x.2017, F. Hort & J. Hort ( WAM) ; 9Ƌ, 2♀, Perth , Pinjar, Cypress Rd, 3135’23.2” S 11547 ’07.1”E, 4.x.2017 (6Ƌ, 1♀), 3135’20” S 11547 ’05”E, 16.x.2017 (2Ƌ), 22.x.2017 (1Ƌ, 1♀), A.A.E Williams ( WAM, CAK) ; 1♀, Perth , Pin-jar, Cypress Rd / Nisa Rd, 3135’23” S 11546 ’51”E, 11.x.2017, A.A.E Williams ( WAM) ; 9Ƌ, 2♀, Perth , Pinjar, Me-laleuca Cons. Area, 3140’16” S 11554 ’40”E, 11.x.2017 (2Ƌ), 3141’09” S 11553 ’14”E, 9.x.2018, (7Ƌ, 1♀), A.A.E Williams ( WAM) ; 1Ƌ, Perth , Pinjar, Perry Rd, 3139’53” S 11550 ’00”E, 6.x.2017, F. Hort & J. Hort ( WAM) ; 7Ƌ, 1♀, Perth , Talbot Rd Res., 3152’27.0” S 11602 ’42.7”E, 14.x.2012, F. Hort & J. Hort ( WAM) ; 17Ƌ, 3♀, Perth , Talbot Rd Res., 3152’27.0” S 11602 ’33.5”E, 12.x.2017 (8Ƌ, 1♀), 22.x.2017 (1Ƌ), 3152’24” S 11602 ’34”E, 24.ix.2019 (4Ƌ), 3152’35” S 11602 ’37”E, 24.ix.2020 (4Ƌ, 2♀), A.A.E. Williams ( WAM, CAK) ; 8Ƌ, Perth , Warbrook Rd, E Lake Jandabup, 3144’04.4” S 11556 ’40.1”E, 23.x.2018 (1Ƌ), 3144’05” S 11556 ’41”E, 29.ix.2019 (7Ƌ), A.A.E Williams ( WAM) ; 9Ƌ, 3♀, S of Perth , Hopeland, Rowe Rd Bushland, 3220’54”S, 11554’31”E, 11.x.2020, A.A.E. Williams ( WAM) ; 14Ƌ, 7♀, Chittering , Wandena Rd, 3132’51” S 11601 ’17”E, 8.x.2019 (3Ƌ, 2♀), 25.ix.2020 (1Ƌ), 6.x.2020 (11Ƌ, 4♀), A.A.E. Williams ( WAM, ANIC, CAK) ; 32Ƌ, 4♀, Lesueur NP, Banksia Tk , 3005’35.6” S 11508 ’29.5”E, 18.ix.2020 (11Ƌ, 1♀), 23.ix.2020 (16Ƌ, 3♀), 9.x.2020 (5Ƌ), A.A.E. Williams ( WAM, ANIC, CAK) ; 15Ƌ, 2♀, Lesueur NP, Mount Peron , 3006’23.7” S 11509 ’10.6”E, 9.x.2017 (1Ƌ), 3006’45.8” S 11509 ’04.7”E, 9.x.2017 (3Ƌ), 3006’41.4” S 11509 ’06.5”E, 20.x.2017 (4Ƌ, 1♀), 3006’42” S 11509 ’06”E, 23.ix.2020 (7Ƌ, 1♀), A.A.E. Williams ( WAM, ANIC, CAK) ; 4 Ex, Watheroo NP, 3007’50” S 11550 ’40”E, 11.x.1994 (3 Ex), 26.5 km W on Watheroo Rd, 3018’54.56” S 11547 ’34.79”E, 11.x.1993 (1 Ex), M.R. Williams ( WAM, ANIC) ; 17Ƌ, 12♀, Watheroo NP, 3019’04” S 11546 ’16”E (12Ƌ, 1♀), 3011’02” S 11544 ’16”E (1Ƌ, 5♀), 9.x.2008, 3019’07.7” S 11547 ’36.5”E, 27.ix.2010 (1Ƌ, 6♀), 30 19’ 03 S 115 46’ 18 E, 18.ix.2020 (1Ƌ), 24.ix.2020 (1Ƌ), 7.x.2020 (1Ƌ), A.A.E. Williams ( WAM, ANIC, CAK) .

Excluded from type series. 1♀, Swan River , Australia, Preu / coll Sommer / Syn. heliopis Meyr. Strand det. ♀ ( MFNB); 2Ƌ, Murchison House, ix.1948, C.F. Jenkins ( WAM) .

Etymology. The species’ name is derived from the Latin croceus (golden-yellow coloured).

Description. Male ( Figs 23, 24 ). Alar expanse 36–41 mm, forewing length 17–18 mm, body length 18–20 mm. Head, vertex dark grey with piliform and lamellar scales, frons with grey and white piliform scales, labial palpi porrect, projecting to about frons, grey above white beneath, haustellum well developed, antenna black annulated with white scales, distal few flagellar annuli white beneath, club arising gradually, black above, white beneath, nudum 23–27 dark brown or black, on anterior half of club, apiculus long. Thorax above dark grey of mixed piliform and broad lamellar scales, with a scattering of long pale grey hair scales when thoracic vestiture is intact, beneath white to grey-white, legs dark grey above, white beneath, with brown on inner side, epiphysis slightly curved, clothed in short spines, tip reaching to foretibia. Abdomen black above, long light brown hair scales on T2–T5, posterior to T4 with brown-yellow scales, yellow-brown laterally, white with some grey scales.

Forewing costa arched, apex very rounded, termen broadly rounded, inner margin almost straight. Upperside black, with markings of white and bluish grey scales; costal margin pale grey, subbasal area with scattered bluish grey scales, submedian area with scattered bluish grey scales, sometimes sufficient to form a broad, very ill-defined submedian band in the discal area, a white mark at end of cell shaped like a comma, proximal to this an area more intensely black, white mark followed distally by black to another less well defined white spot beyond cell, postmedian band represented by bluish grey scales between M3 and CuA2, a subapical band of white spots, well developed, extending from R2 to M3, those between M1 and M 2 in an arc, a narrow band of scattered bluish grey scales well beyond subapical band running inwards along veins, a narrow submarginal band of bluish grey scales extending to 1A+2A, and a terminal line black with scattered bluish grey scales. Cilia grey. Underside black with orange markings; a narrow costal strip grey, a broad orange median band from costa to CuA2, narrowing and proximal margin indented at M3, a broad subapical band deep orange extending from R2 to M3, a submarginal band of small spots extending from apex to CuA2, those near apex white the remainder orange with those between M1 and M3 merging with the subapical band, a narrow black terminal line. Cilia grey.

Hindwing termen evenly rounded, slightly flattened in tornal area. Upperside black with orange markings; a small orange spot at distal end of cell, a median band of orange to yellow spots extending from just beyond M1 to 1A+2A, a gap of ground colour between M3 and CuA1, spots between M1 and M3 and those between CuA1 and 1A+2A confluent, a submarginal band of orange to yellow discrete spots from M2 to 1A+2A, sometimes a small spot anterior to M3 but usually absent, anal area grey merging into a small yellow tornal spot which is joined to the median band. Cilia dark grey, orange between Rs and M2 and at tornus. Underside black with white and orange spots; portion of wing anterior to median vein and M1 grey, posterior black, a small orange spot at distal end of cell, a median band of deep orange spots from Sc+R1 to 1A+2A, spots between M1 and M3 confluent, a gap to CuA1, spots between CuA1 and 1A+2A confluent, all spots of median band shot with white, a submarginal row of spots from Sc+R1 to 1A+2A mostly white, those anterior to M3 indistinct, a narrow black terminal line, anal area grey with numerous shining white scales merging to yellow tornal area. Cilia grey, orange between Rs and M2 and at tornus.

Female ( Figs 25, 26 ). Alar expanse 45–48 mm. Similar to male, much larger, coloration similar to male but orange spots particularly on the underside much more extensive, white markings on the upperside of the forewing usually more extensive, more extensively brown-orange on abdomen.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 31 ). Uncus moderately narrow, slightly pointed at tip, with long setae; gnathos arms shorter than uncus; anal tube well sclerotized; tegumen broad, slightly curved, of constant width; vinculum angled, evenly sclerotized; saccus with well-developed bifurcated arms, broad and well separated; juxta well developed; valva very elongate, strongly curved ventrally, narrowing abruptly at about half its length, tip truncated to upturned point, sacculus and costa with stout setae; phallus moderately long, narrow, of even diameter, well sclerotized, tip oblique, curved anteriorly with phallobase not recurved; ductus ejaculatorius longer than phallus, with several coils.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 33 ). Papillae anales narrow, sharply pointed, short and heavily sclerotized; ovipositor long, narrow, extensible heavily sclerotized, with numerous stout dorsal and lateral spines near tip; apophyses long, heavily sclerotized, apophyses anteriores much less than half length of apophyses posteriores which extend from the tip of the papillae; sinus vaginalis broad; ostium bursae from long unsclerotized window extending about one quarter of way down S7; ductus seminalis from close to ostium; ductus bursae long, not coiled, rugose, corpus bursae large, approximately spherical, slightly rugose, without signum.

Diagnosis. Based on wing pattern and preliminary molecular analyses (unpublished), S. crocea sp. n. is the sister species of Synemon catocaloides Walker, [1865] ( Figs 27–30 , 32 , 34 , 38–40 ). However, it differs significantly by the yellow-orange coloration of the hindwing markings, which are deep red in S. catocaloides . Furthermore, compared to S. catocaloides , the wings are shorter and the black markings on the hindwing are more extensive in S. crocea sp. n., the central yellow-orange spot on the hindwing is smaller, the black subterminal band in the hindwing is narrower and often interrupted (wider and continuous in S. catocaloides ), the forewings have a whitish triangular spot just distad of the discal spot (with a narrow whitish streak distad of the discal spot in S. catocaloides ) and the subapical band of white spots is more extensive in S. crocea sp. n. Both species also differ in their genitalia. In the male, the narrow distal extension of the valva is longer and the uncus is narrower and more pointed in S. crocea sp. n. In the female, the bursa copulatrix is wider and more rounded. Notably, some northern populations of S. catocaloides , i.e. in Kalbarri National Park, have orange rather than red-coloured hindwing marks (see also notes below). S. crocea sp. n. differs from S. sophia in the form of the white spot at the end of the cell of the upperside forewing, the orange spots of the hindwing which blend to yellow towards the tornus and in the indistinctness of the outline of these spots. In S. sophia these spots are normally deep orange but occasionally orange, their outline is distinct and, while the tornal spot may be paler, the deep orange does not fade gradually along the row of spots as the orange does in S. crocea sp. n. Synemon sophia and S. crocea sp. n. share the rounded forewings and the grey costal area of the underside of the hindwing which is very different to yellow species of the S. leucospila group. The antennal club in S. sophia thickens more abruptly than in S. crocea sp. n. but less abruptly than in S. leucospila and its allies. Synemon crocea sp. n. differs from the yellow representatives of S. leucospila (or closely related species) by its much more rounded wings. The antennae are much more gradually clubbed. The white mark at the end of the cell on the upperside of the forewing is distinctively comma-shaped, the orange spot at the end of the cell on the hindwing upperside is consistently small and the orange spots of the median band of the hindwing fade gradually from orange to yellow towards the tornus and the margins of these spots are more indistinct compared to S. leucospila group species and S. sophia .

Variation. There is variation in the size of the spots in the median band of the hindwing above and sometimes the gap in the band between M3 and CuA1 is bridged by orange, sometimes the spots are paler orange. When specimens are worn, the blue-grey scales are often lost or indistinct and the cilia appear uniformly grey. There is very little variation in size. Specimens from the northern part of the range (Watheroo NP and Mt Lesueur NP) have more extensively orange hindwings, including a larger central yellow-orange spot of the hindwing.

Distribution. Synemon crocea sp. n. has a near-coastal distribution from Mt Lesueur National Park in the north, south through Badgingarra National Park, Boonanarring Nature Reserve and Moore River National Park to the Swan Coastal Plain. South of Perth it occurs intermittently, at Hopeland, Yarloop, Australind and Manea Park Nature Reserve in Bunbury.

Habitat and Biology ( Figs 36, 37, 41, 42 ). Synemon crocea sp. n. flies from late September to early November, emerging earlier in the north. The species is found in a variety of habitats, almost always on sandy soils. At Badgingarra National Park it occurs in species-rich low heath, while at Boonanarring Nature Reserve it is found in mixed Coastal Blackbutt ( Eucalyptus todtiana F. Muell. ) and Firewood Banksia ( Banksia menziesii R.Br., Protaeceae ) woodland. Near Moore River National Park, in the vicinity of Perth, and further south near Australind, it favours mixed Slender Banksia ( Banksia attenuata R.Br. ) and Firewood Banksia woodlands (Williams et al. 2016). At Manea Park Nature Reserve the sun-moth inhabits a winter-moist depression where paperbark and Banksia litoralis R.Br. open woodland grows over a Lyginia sp. dominated understory. The larval food-plant in the Melaleuca Conservation Area on the Swan Coastal Plain near Perth is Lyginia imberbis R.Br. (Restionaceae) , a host-plant family not previously recorded for Castniidae . This conspicuous species flies moderately close to the ground amongst understory shrubs and sedges. It is usually the first spring flying sun-moth to appear, though after a fire yellow representatives of the S. leucospila group may take its place.

Remarks. 1) The specimen illustrated by Strand (1911a) in Seitz’ Macrolepidoptera of the World on plate 9 under the name heliopis is in the NHMUK; it is a specimen of S. crocea sp. n. The specimen is badly worn and the species is unrecognizable from the figure. 2) This species was referred to as Synemon sp. ‘Yarloop’ (Orange-banded Sun-moth) in Williams et al. (2016).

Figures

FIGURES 23–30. Synemon species adults. Upperside (left), underside (right). 23–26. Synemon crocea sp. n., Ƌ, paratype, Australind (23, 24) (ANIC); ♀, paratype, Muchea (25, 26) (ANIC). 27–30. Synemon catocaloides, Ƌ, 46km north-east of Wubin (27, 28) (WAM); ♀ Indarra Nature Reserve (29, 30) (WAM).

FIGURES 31, 32. Synemon species, male genitalia. a. Unrolled. b. Lateral view, right valva removed. c. Valva. d. Phallus. 31. Synemon crocea sp. n., paratypes (genitalia slides 11855, 11856) (ANIC). 32. Synemon catocaloides (genitalia slides 11778, 11779) (ANIC).

FIGURES 33, 34. Synemon species, female genitalia. a. Distal part. b. Anterior part. c. Segment 8, ostium, ductus bursae and corpus bursae. 33. Synemon crocea sp. n., paratype (genitalia slide 13071) (ANIC). 34. Synemon catocaloides (genitalia slide 11930) (ANIC).

FIGURES 35–42. Habitat and live specimens of Synemon species. 35. Habitat of Synemon sophia, Walpole. 36. Habitat of Synemon crocea sp. n., Bullsbrook Nature Reserve. 37. Synemon crocea sp. n., larval food-plant Lyginia imberbis, Melaleuca Park Conservation Area. 38–40. Synemon catocaloides, 46 km north-east of Wubin, resting (38), laying eggs at base of its host plant Ecdeiocolea monostachya (39), mating pair (40). 41, 42. Synemon crocea sp. n., Wandena Road, resting posture during cloud cover (41), alert posture in sunshine (42).