Cryptophasa pultenae
Encyclopedia
Cryptophasa pultenae is a moth
of the Oecophoridae
family. It is known from New South Wales
and Queensland
.
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.
, 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.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Oecophoridae
Oecophoridae
Oecophoridae is a family of small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. The phylogeny and systematics of gelechoid moths are still not fully resolved, and the circumscription of the Oecophoridae is strongly affected by this....
family. It is known from New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
.
Description
The wingspanWingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
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.
Biology
The larvae feed on Pultenaea villosa, Acmena smithiiAcmena smithii
Syzygium smithii is a summer flowering evergreen tree, belonging to the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It is commonly planted as shrubs or hedgerows. It features rough woody bark, cream and green smooth waxy leaves with flushes of pink new growth and pink to mauve edible berries. It shares the common...
, 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.