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Identification history
| Heteroteucha leptobaphes | 3 Jan 2024 | donhe | ||
| Unidentified | 30 Dec 2023 | PJH123 |
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User's notes
Heteroteucha sp ??
6 comments
PJH123
wrote:
2 Jan 2024
Don, I looked at translatella, the forewing cilia of which appear dark at the apex and in the lower half while in my specimen it is yellow throughout.
ibaird
wrote:
2 Jan 2024
There appears to be quite a lot variation in the cilia on named H. translatella specimens online, including the yellow throughout examples. Not H distephana in my view, If not H. translatella, then I suggest H. leptobaphes which seems to have a mainly a SE Queensland distribution online (see iNaturalist).
PJH123
wrote:
3 Jan 2024
Ian,
I cannot follow Heteroteucha leptobaphes (Turner, 1944), based on the original description, the forewings are white faintly ochreous-tinged without markings; making all images on the net incorrect.
Turners refers to O. hololeuca Meyr. (1131) which is now Laxonoma hololeuca (Meyrick, 1884) is a whitish grey moth also without markings. So, I feel H. translatella is a safer bet, the type locality being Moreton Bay (Brisbane)
1580. OCYSTOLA LEPTOBAPHES, n. Sp. (-, faintly tinged.)
♂. 14-15 m. Head and thorax white faintly ochreous-tinged. Palpi with terminal
joint one-half; white. Antennae pale grey; ciliations in male 2. Abdomen grey. Legs
grey; posterior pair white. Forewings narrow, costa rather strongly arched, apex
pointed, termen very oblique; white faintly ochreous-tinged; cilia white. Hindwings and
cilia grey. To follow O. hololeuca Meyr. (1131).
Queensland: Stradbroke I. in October; one specimen.
I cannot follow Heteroteucha leptobaphes (Turner, 1944), based on the original description, the forewings are white faintly ochreous-tinged without markings; making all images on the net incorrect.
Turners refers to O. hololeuca Meyr. (1131) which is now Laxonoma hololeuca (Meyrick, 1884) is a whitish grey moth also without markings. So, I feel H. translatella is a safer bet, the type locality being Moreton Bay (Brisbane)
1580. OCYSTOLA LEPTOBAPHES, n. Sp. (-, faintly tinged.)
♂. 14-15 m. Head and thorax white faintly ochreous-tinged. Palpi with terminal
joint one-half; white. Antennae pale grey; ciliations in male 2. Abdomen grey. Legs
grey; posterior pair white. Forewings narrow, costa rather strongly arched, apex
pointed, termen very oblique; white faintly ochreous-tinged; cilia white. Hindwings and
cilia grey. To follow O. hololeuca Meyr. (1131).
Queensland: Stradbroke I. in October; one specimen.
ibaird
wrote:
3 Jan 2024
While I have gone into this ID discussion with an open mind, I find the photographic evidence for H. leptobaphes pretty convincing when comparing your image with those on Bold Systems 4 for that species compared to those for H. translatella there which are more .variable showing darker cilia. Bold Systems 4 also indicates a wider coastal eastern Australian distribution for H. leptpbaphes than appears on the ALA and iNaturalist.
PJH123
wrote:
7 Jan 2024
@ibaird It appears there may be some mix up with the BOLD images. In Common, 1994, Vol 3 of the Monographs (Vol 1 of the Oecophorine) an ANIC type No. is given as 2107, from Stradbroke Island, for H. leptpbaphes. Would it be possible for Glen to track it down and send us an image.
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