Cuphodes lithographa (Meyrick, 1912)

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 : 62-63

Cuphodes lithographa (Meyrick, 1912)

( Fig. 56)

“ Phrixosceles lithographa , nov. sp. ”—Meyrick, E., 1912b. Lepidoptera Heterocera (Tineae). Fam. Gracilariadae. In: Wytsman, P. (ed.): Genera Insectorum. Fascicule 128. V. Verteneuil & L. Desmet, Imprimeurs-Éditeurs, 13. https://www. biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53165716

Cuphodes lithographa — Turner 1940: 53; Nielsen & Kumata 1996: 48; De Prins & De Prins 2005: 166.

Type locality: [ Australia, Queensland], Cairns.

Type specimens: Syntypes 2♀, BMNH(E) 1055698, 1406572, in NHMUK (London) .

Lectotype designation: Hereby, we designate as the lectotype of the species Phrixosceles lithographa Meyrick, 1912 the female specimen ( Fig. 56) with abdomen, belonging to the syntype series and carrying the following labels: [labels verbatim]: [1] Cairns/ Queensland /F.P.D. 10.06. [2] Syntype. [3] litographa Meyr. [4] BMNH(E) ♯1055698. [5] Phrixosceles / lithographa /2/1 Meyr./E. Meyrick det./in Meyrick Coll., in NHMUK (London).

Paralectotype (♀): without abdomen [labels verbatim]: [1] Cairns/ Queensland /F.P.D. 10.06. [2] Syntype. [3] Phrixosceles / lithographa /2/2 Meyr./E. Meyrick det./in Meyrick Coll. [4] BMNH(E) 1406572, in NHMUK (London).

Morphological diagnostic characterisation: externally very similar to C. didymosticha due to the white forewing with beige transverse narrow lines without any particular ornamentation. The most peculiar and diagnostic character is the apical part of the forewing: in both species the apex of forewing carries an oval spot with a narrow stripe in the middle; the oval spot is surrounded by brownish-beige scales. Both species C. lithographa and C. didymosticha belong to the same species group and it is not excluded that C. didymosticha even might be a subjective synonym of C. lithographa . Unfortunately, both character sets—genitalia and DNA characters of both species remain unknown. Both syntype specimens of C. lithographa are with abdomens. We look forward to the detailed internal and molecular investigation of this species. Wingspan ca. 7.2 mm; length of the forewing ca. 3.2 mm ( Fig. 56).

Head: vertex smooth, white with slight golden shine, occiput short, light ochreous, frons snowy white, shining, maxillary palpus short, porrect, with sharp apex; labial palpus rather long, ca. 2× of the diameter of eye, slender, apices slightly upcurved, palpomeres distancing from each other; antenna slightly longer than forewing, bronzy shining, scape enlarged, dirty white.

Thorax ( Fig. 56): Thorax cannot be examined due to thick pin; ground colour of forewing light ochreous, the ornaments without any defined geometrical markings, with some irregular patches, lines; apical part of C. lithographa is highly diagnostic from all Cuphodes species except C. didymosticha : apical area is oval with narrow but distinct horizontal apical stripe; apical area, termen and tornus margined by thick apical line; fringe line is not perceptible; hindwing of the same shading as forewing. Legs light ochreous with golden shine, without any particular markings or annulation.

Abdomen: pale beige dorsally with anterior terga VI–VIII dirty white.

BOLD data: No data.

GenBank data: No data.

Mitogenomic data: No data.

Individual variation. Only two female specimens belonging to this species are known.

Bionomics: No data.

Distribution: Australia: Queensland ( Meyrick 1912b: 13 (footnote)).