Cryptophasa pultenae
Cryptophasa pultenae | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Xyloryctidae |
Genus: | Cryptophasa |
Species: | C. pultenae
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Binomial name | |
Cryptophasa pultenae Lewin, 1805[1]
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Synonyms | |
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Cryptophasa pultenae is a moth of the family Xyloryctidae. It is known in Australia from New South Wales and Queensland.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Cryptophasa_pultenae_ill.jpg/200px-Cryptophasa_pultenae_ill.jpg)
Description
[edit]The wingspan is about 25 mm for males and about 40 mm for females. The wings are silvery-white, the anterior pair with three small black spots in the middle and a marginal row at the extremity; hinder wings black in the male, white in the female, with a series of angular black marks at the hinder margin: abdomen with a square spot of bright red toward the base.[2]
Biology
[edit]The larvae feed on Pultenaea villosa, Acmena smithii, Backhousia myrtifolia, Syzygium australis and the introduced Psidium guava. The larva bores downwards a cylindrical chamber in the centre of the stem of the host plant. The entrance is arched over with a fabric of web and excrement, under which it feeds during the day. Adults are on wing in November, December, January, February and March.
References
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Wikispecies-logo.svg/34px-Wikispecies-logo.svg.png)
- ^ Australian Faunal Directory
- ^ Xyloryctine Moths of Australia
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.