Epicephala eugonia Turner, 1913

Prins, Jurate De, Hartley, Diana, Sruoga, Virginijus, Nicholls, James, Wallace, Jesse & Zwick, Andreas, 2025, Diversity of Australian Ornixolinae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) with taxonomic and nomenclatural acts within the related taxa (Acrocercopinae and Gracillariinae) based on the evidence of museomics, bionomics, and mitogenomics, Zootaxa 5616 (1), pp. 1-340 : 162

Epicephala eugonia Turner, 1913

( Figs 298, 315)

“ Epicephala eugonia , n. sp. ”—Turner, A.J., 1913. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 38: 175. https://www. biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6407204

Epicephala eugonia — Turner 1940: 393; Nielsen & Kumata 1996: 48; De Prins & De Prins 2005: 179.

Type locality: [ Australia], Q.[ueensland], Brisbane .

Type specimen: Holotype ♀, coll. Turner, ANIC Acc. no 31 010788, in ANIC (Canberra).

Specimens examined: Holotype ♀ ( Figs 298, 315): [1] ‘Brisbane/Dec[ember]’; [2] ‘ Epicephala TYPE/ eugonia Turn. ’; [3] ‘ ANIC /Image’; [4] ‘ ANIC Database No/31 010788’, in ANIC (Canberra).

Morphological diagnostic characterisation: Wingspan 6.5 mm; length of the forewing 2.9 mm ( Fig. 298). Externally this species is very similar to E. colymbetella , the type species of the genus Epicephala and belongs to the same group of species. Undoubtfully E. eugonia and the type species E. colymbetella are related. The diagnostic differences are tiny as described below, however, both species can be well separated when they are put together. The most important diagnostic difference is the basal part of the dorsal margin of the forewing. In E. eugonia a broad snowy white tapering stripe stretches along the basal dorsal margin until the sub-apical 1/4. The sub-apical dorsal area in E. eugonia is marked by a set of three oblique narrow strigulae oriented towards the apex. This latter character is shared with the type species E. colymbetella . However, the basal part of the dorsum in E. colymbetella differs significantly from that of E. eugonia . In E. colymbetella the basal 3/4 of the forewing bears two oblique strigulae, which reach the midline of forewing with their tips.

Head ( Fig. 315): vertex shining white, occiput with two lateral tufts of long erected, snowy white piliform scales. Maxillary palpus rather long, slightly longer than 1/2 of the length of labial palpus, dirty white, with sharp apices; labial palpus ca. as long as 1.5× diameter of eye, dirty white, directed straightforward, with sharply pointed apices. Scape dorsally covered with occipital scales, ventrally bears a bunch of long hanging lightly ochreous pecten.

Thorax ( Fig. 298): tegula light ochreous with golden shine, ground colour light ochreous, lighter than that of E. colymbetella ; general wing design repeats that of E. colymbetella , but in E. eugonia the lines are finer, clearly defined, not interrupted; costa with narrow, obliquely convex fascia initiating at mid of costa and terminating beyond the mid at dorsal margin, sub-apical margin is decorated by two sinusoid fascia; dorsal margin with white narrowing towards apical part stripe with linear anterior margin. The dorsal margin of the forewing, and especially the basal 3/4 of it is the diagnostic character of E. eugonia separating this species from E. colymbetella and other related species within this group; sub-apical edged line present, apical spot small but clearly visible, apical line very fine, present. No other body parts are preserved on the holotype specimen, the only specimen known representing this species.

Male genitalia: No data.

Female genitalia: No data.

Bionomics: No data.

BOLD data: No data.

GenBank data: No data.

Mitogenomic data: No data.

Distribution: Australia: Queensland ( Turner 1913: 175).