Eumenodora encrypta Meyrick, 1906

Kaila, Lauri, 2013, Identity of Eumenodora encrypta Meyrick, a cryptic Australian moth (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea), Zootaxa 3616 (2), pp. 165-172 : 166-170

Eumenodora encrypta Meyrick, 1906

Figs. 1–11

Eumenodora encrypta Meyrick, 1906: 55 . Type locality: Australia, Queensland, Brisbane. Holotype in BMNH.

Material studied. Type material. Holotype 3 labelled: Holotype [round with red margin]; Brisbane Queensland 16/9/[18]79; Eumenodora encrypta 1/1 Meyr. E. Meyrick det. in Meyrick Coll.; Meyrick Coll. BM 1938-290; encrypta Meyr. ; Eumenodora Meyr ; abdomen missing [printed blue label], Coll. BMNH. Other material: Australia: The Australian Capital Territory: Black Mt., blended light, 16.XII. 1995 2 3 1 Ƥ R. J. B. Hoare leg., (ANIC 16033, 16035, in ANIC, L. Kaila prep. 4932, in MZH); 35.16S 149.06E Black Mountain, summit, 14.II.1999 L. Kaila leg. (in ANIC); Queensland: 23.17S 150.31E Parkhurst 26.VIII. 1987 2 3 I. F. B. Common leg. (ANIC); 23.18S 150.32E 8 km NNE Rockhampton 6.IX. 1980 1 3 I. F. B. Common leg. (ANIC 16417, in ANIC); 27.33S 151.59E Prince Henry Heights, Toowoomba, 620 m, 26.I. 1983 1 3 I. F. B. Common leg. (L. Kaila prep. 5677, in MZH). South Australia: 35.59S 137.11E Vivonne Bay, Kangaroo Island, 19.I.2008 13 D.A.Young leg.; DNA sample 11121 Lepid. Phyl. (only wings left as vouchers, preserved in DNA collection of ZMUO).

Diagnosis. As only the type species is known for the genus Eumenodora , this diagnosis does not separate characters of ‘generic’ and ‘specific’ level, but gives a general characterization of the taxon. Eumenodora encrypta is a very small species, the wing shape is acute, the hindwing in particular ( Figs 1–4 ). The forewing venation has a distinctive basal forking of 1A+2A, and in the hindwing RS and M1 are separate ( Fig. 4 ). The species is sombrelycoloured without any distinctive wing markings. Sternum II displays sexual dimorphism, the male having a vestigial, and the female a well-developed apodeme ( Figs. 5, 6 ). The sternal rods are narrow and not distinctive; there is no lateroanteriorly directed sclerotization (presence of it has been considered to characterize ‘tortricidtype’ sternum II (Kyrki 1983)); the male genitalia are peculiar with the uncus forming a pair of large, sclerotized hooks and with the socii formed as large setose lobes ( Fig. 7 ). The juxta bears a pair of long, narrow, distally setose, caudally directed lobes, similar to those of several Hierodoris species ( Figs 8, 10 ). The valva is simple, with only one specialized structure: a non-setose lobe near the base of the costa ( Fig. 10 ). The female genitalia are generalized ( Fig. 11). The papillae anales are rather weakly sclerotized; segments A8–9 are at most weakly extensile; segment 8 is setose on the caudal margin, S8 has denser groups of setae near the mesial invagination in the posterior margin; the ostium bursae is wide, and no distinct antrum is present; the ductus seminalis is not basally dilated, i.e. the bulla seminalis is absent; the ductus bursae is without scobination, but there is a sclerotized, scobinate plate near the entry point of the ductus seminalis. The signum of the corpus bursae is distinctive being very large and asymmetric; it has a median fold and a distinctly sclerotized band of transverse ridges on one side.

Description. Wingspan 6.5–7.5 mm. Labial palpus ascending, length equal to diameter of head, above shiny, creamy white, apex of second and third segment to a varying extent grey; labial palpus variably mottled grey below. Head shiny, creamy white, to a varying extent mottled with dark grey scales with faint bronzy sheen; neck tuft dark grey; antenna dark grey, segments basally annulated with paler rings; serrate in distal half in male; flagellum of male ventrally ciliate, length of cilia 2/3 of diameter of flagellum. Fore leg dark grey, segments and tarsomeres distally and ventrally creamy white; mid and hind leg grey, segments and tarsomeres distally and ventrally pale creamy white. Forewing pterostigma absent; retinaculum of male arising from a spur of Sc; five Rveins present, all directed towards costa; cell closed; no chorda present; M1, M2, M3, CuA1 and CuA2 all present, and separate from each other; CuP basally decipherable as a fold, distally entirely absent; 1A+2A with basal fork. Hindwing Sc+R1 near costa; R and M only distally present; Rs and M1 separate; M1 and M2 basally coalescent; Cu basally well-developed, distally three-branched, the branches presumably M3, CuA1 and CuA2. Forewing ground colour formed of basally pale and distally dark grey scales with faint bronzy sheen; the only markings being variable and indistinct, dark spot in the middle of wing at fold, and another at 2/3 wing at the end of cell; fringe scales concolorous dark grey. Underside of forewing dark grey with concolorous fringe. Both sides of hindwing grey, with concolorous fringe. Abdomen leaden grey. Sternum II without lateroanteriorly directed sclerotization; sternal rods narrow, indistinct; apodemes of male vestigial, well-developed in female.

Male genitalia. Uncus formed of large, paired, setose hooks that are basally broad, somewhat curved to Sshaped and with narrow pointed apex. Socius a tongue-shaped lobe, densely covered by long setae. Gnathos absent. Valva long and narrow, parallel-sided, with rounded apex; inner surface densely covered with setae. A blunt lobe devoid of setae near base of costa. Juxta weakly sclerotized, with two short distal lobes, mediolaterally with group of a few setae, long, narrow lobe with a few setae apically. Vinculum small, U-shaped. Phallus about 2/3 times as long as valva, straight and broad, parallel-sided; with rounded coecum; distal end clear-cut, with pair of blunt appendages; vesica with four cornuti: one relatively basally situated, very large, consisting of a broad basal plate and elongate distal horn, length of this cornutus half the length of phallus; three smaller, yet prominent, cornuti in a group near apex of phallus, two curved, one straight. Tubular portion of bulbus ejaculatorius not coiled, shorter than length of phallus.

Female genitalia. Papillae anales dorsally fused, setose, weakly sclerotized. Segments 8–10 not or weakly extensile; apophyses posteriores very long, straight; apophyses anteriores 1/3 of the length of apophyses posteriores. Caudal part of segment 8 setose, setae densest in two patches in S8; S8 weakly sclerotized, posteriorly somewhat divided mesially. Ostium bursae on intersegmental membrane between S8 and S7, very broad; no antrum present; ductus seminalis not swollen; elongate scobinate sclerotization near its entry point; ductus bursae membranous, gradually narrowed towards corpus bursae, somewhat longer than apophyses posteriores, abruptly meeting the corpus bursae; corpus bursae rounded, internally covered with granules that are largest in the median area, signum large, triangular, partly weakly sclerotized, with longitudinal fold that serves as the margin of a strongly sclerotized, elongate part with dense row of transverse sclerotized ridges.

Biology. The immature stages are unknown. Adults are attracted to artificial light at night. The species has been found in semi-open forests. The flight period appears to be very long, from August to February, there are also records from September, December and January. It remains unknown whether more than one generation develops per year.

Distribution. Australia: Queensland, Australian Capital Territory, South Australia. The species is widespread in eastern Australia, though currently with very scattered records. It may eventually prove to be a common species that is currently somewhat neglected due to its small size and modest appearance.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. External appearance of Eumenodora encrypta Meyrick. Fig. 1: holotype # m (Queensland: Brisbane) (courtesy by CSIRO Division of Ecosystem Sciences). Fig. 2: # m (The Australian Capital Territory, Black Mountain). Fig. 3: # f (The Australian Capital Territory, Black Mountain). Scale bar in Figs 2 and 3 is 2 mm.

FIGURES 4 – 6. Details of denuded specimens of E. encrypta. Fig. 4: wing venation (L. Kaila prep. 5677). Fig. 5: Sternum II of male (ANIC slide 16033). Fig. 6: Sternum II of female (ANIC slide 16035).

FIGURES 7 – 10. Male genitalia of E. encrypta. Fig. 7: General image of the genitalia with phallus severed, in the same scale (ANIC slide 16417). Fig. 8: Details of juxta and base of valva (ANIC slide 16417). Fig. 9: Phallus enlarged (ANIC slide 16033). Fig. 10: Details of juxta and base of valva (ANIC slide 16033).