Oligophlebia eusphyra
Encyclopedia
Oligophlebia eusphyra is a moth
of the Sesiidae
family. It is only known from Kuranda in Queensland
near Cairns.
The length of the forewings is about 6 mm for males and 8-9 for females.
Nothing is known of the biology of Pennisetia eusphyra, but considering the similarities with Oligophlebia igniflua
, it seems likely that the species will ultimately be found on one or more of the numerous species of Elaeocarpus
found throughout the rainforest areas from northern New South Wales
north along the coast of Queensland
.
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 Sesiidae
Sesiidae
The Sesiidae or clearwing moths are family of the Lepidoptera in which the wings partially have hardly any of the normal lepidopteran scales, leaving them transparent. The bodies are generally striped with yellow, red or white, sometimes very brightly, and they have simple antennae...
family. It is only known from Kuranda in 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...
near Cairns.
The length of the forewings is about 6 mm for males and 8-9 for females.
Nothing is known of the biology of Pennisetia eusphyra, but considering the similarities with Oligophlebia igniflua
Oligophlebia igniflua
Oligophlebia igniflua is a moth of the Sesiidae family. It is only known from the Brisbane district in Queensland, but the distribution of its known host-plant suggests that it will ultimately be found to occur in other rainforest areas in Queensland and the Northern Territory.The length of the...
, it seems likely that the species will ultimately be found on one or more of the numerous species of Elaeocarpus
Elaeocarpus
Elaeocarpus is a genus of tropical and subtropical evergreen trees and shrubs. The approximately 350 species are distributed from Madagascar in the west through India, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, southern China, and Japan, through Australia to New Zealand, Fiji, and Hawaii in the east. The islands of...
found throughout the rainforest areas from northern 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...
north along the coast of 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...
.