Cuphodes pyrochroma ( Turner, 1894 ), 2025

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 : 71-75

Cuphodes pyrochroma ( Turner, 1894) , comb. n.

( Figs 64, 65, 75, 100, 101, 113, 114, 122, 132, 637)

“ Grac.[ilaria] pyrochroma , n. sp. ”—Turner, A.J., 1894. Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of South Australia 18: 129. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16141967

Cyphosticha pyrochroma — Meyrick 1907: 61; Fletcher 1929: 63; Turner 1940: 54; Nielsen & Kumata 1996: 48; De Prins & De Prins 2005: 169.

Type locality: [ Australia: Queensland], Brisbane.

Type specimens: 5 syntypes (gender unknown), of which 2 (♂ and ♀) are in ANIC (Canberra) .

Specimens examined: Syntype 1 ( Fig. 64): Australia, Queensland, Brisbane, 27.4705°S 153.0260°E, No date, leg. Nihil, DNA sample NULT025567, genitalia slide ANIC 6235, ANIC Acc. no 31 087225. Syntype 2: ditto label data, leg. Nihil, DNA sample NULT025442, genitalia slide ANIC 6234, ANIC Acc. no 31 087226, in ANIC (Canberra). Lectotype designation: Hereby we designate as the lectotype of the species Gracillaria pyrochroma Turner, 1894 the male specimen ( Fig. 64) in good condition, fully representing the species, of which the full mitochondrial genome is available, belonging to the syntype series and carrying the following labels: [1] ‘Brisbane‘(printed on light beige paper), [2]’ Gracilaria [sic] pyrochroma TYPE Turn.’ (handwritten in black Indian ink on a beige paper), [3] ‘ HOLOTYPE Gracilaria [sic] pyrochroma Turn. 1894 ’ (the word Holotype printed, the species name handwritten in black Indian ink on a red hard carton paper); NULT025567, genitalia slide ANIC 6235, ANIC Acc. no 31 087225, in ANIC (Canberra).

Paralectotype: a female specimen from the syntype series in moderate condition carrying the following label: ‘Brisbane’; NULT025442, genitalia slide ANIC 6234 , ANIC Acc. no 31 087226, in ANIC Canberra ).

The lectotype is designated as part of our taxonomic work to enhance the stability of nomenclature (Declaration 44—Amendment of Article 74.7.3) with the purpose to delineate this species-group taxon, and to delineate the genus-group taxon, because Cuphodes pyrochroma ( Turner, 1894) , comb. n. is the type species of the genus Cyphosticha Meyrick, 1907 , syn. n. (= Cuphodes Meyrick, 1897 ). This designation will preserve the stability in the nomenclature ( ICZN Recommendation 74A). We gave the preference to the male specimen indicated as the ‘Holotype’ in the Australian National Insect Collection which is digitized by the Digitization group for the online ANIC species portal ( ICZN Recommendations 74B, C, D), and the full mitochondrial genome of this particular specimen is studied ( Fig. 64). The locality of the lectotype specimen is verified ( ICZN Recommendation 74E). The syntype specimen with the same label data as of the lectotype is designated as the paralectotype ( ICZN Recommendation 74F).

Other examined specimens in Australia: Queensland: Specimen 1(♂): Coolangatta , 28.1703°S 153.5305°E, 03- 10-1915, leg. Nihil. Specimen 2(♀): Brisbane , 27.4705°S 153.0260°E, 31-08-1904, gen. prep. H3, H4, leg. Nihil ( Fig. 75). Specimen 3(♀) ( Fig. 65): National Park, Low level, 27.828735°S 150.083771°E, 12-11-1925, Barcode of Life , DNA voucher specimen, Sample ID: 11 ANIC-16251 , BOLD Proc. ID: ANICY251-11, leg. Nihil, DNA sample NULT025327, genitalia slide ANIC 6233 , ANIC Acc. no 31 053586, in ANIC (Canberra). New South Wales: Specimen 4: Rous, Richmond River , 28.8612°S 153.4095°E, 11-03-1923, without abdomen, Barcode of Life , DNA voucher specimen, Sample ID: 11 ANIC-16252 , BOLD Proc. ID: ANICY252-11, leg. Robinson V.J., ID: 31 053587, in ANIC (Canberra) .

Morphological diagnostic characterisation: Wingspan 6.5–7.3 mm; length of the forewing 3.1–3.4 mm ( Figs 64, 65, 75, 100, 101).

Head: vertex smooth, with yellow shading at occiput, occiput yellow, consisting of long yellow filiform scales, a tuft of dark brown short piliform scales at bases of antenna, frons snowy white with dark brown horizontal stripes initiating at the highest margin of the eye; such stripes are absent in C. callimacha and C. pandoxa ; labial palpus slender, curved distally like other Cuphodes species, but in C. pyrochroma the inner side of terminal labial palpomere is marked with two dark brown spots. Antenna very long, ca. 1.5× longer than the forewing, dirty white with silver shine, unicolourous, without any ringed markings, scape thick, yellow dorsally, with a narrow dark brown line crossing the scape at frontal view, this character is highly diagnostic for C. pyrochroma .

Thorax ( Figs 64, 65, 75): brightly yellow; wing venation of forewing with very strong R 2, followed by weak R 3, R 4, M 2, M 3, CuA 1 strong, but very thin, followed by weak CuA 2, and CuA 3, and CuP rudimentary, A 1+2 are well expressed; wing venation of hindwing with R5 reaching almost the tip and with branched medial veins M 1, M 2, and M 3, CuA is well visible, but sclerotised weakly ( Fig. 75); costal margin of forewing dark brown with a series of interchangeable dark brown and light fuscous spots, dorsal margin marked with a gently decreasing waving ornamentation, consisting of four waves—a distinctive diagnostic character for this species, forewing with sharply narrowing apex, apical spot present, but not perceptible since it is on a dark background ( Figs 64, 65); hind tibia dirty white, with contrasting dark brown apex, an easily recognisable diagnostic character; hind tibia carries a row of short sharp spines—a character common to many Cuphodes species. Hind tibia with spines and erect piliform scales.

Abdomen ( Fig. 122): dirty ochreous on terga II–III, brownish fuscous on anterior segments; tips genital segments with light yellowish shading. Margins of abdominal opening on sternum II narrowly but strongly sclerotised, ventral crossing joint is narrow, slightly concave, corners of abdominal opening sharply angulated, sternal apodemes initiating at the corners of abdominal opening are short, ca. as long as 1/5 of the length of the tergal apodemes, spiculose, clearly visible, with sharp apices; tergal apodemes initiate at the margin on tergum I, with erect, very short and thin digitiform appendix at basal part, slightly bent concavely at the mid part, terminating with sinusoid apices at sub-posterior part segment II. In males, anterior segment VII carries two pairs of long piliform androconial coremata on lateral sides, the mid part of sternum VII bears a transverse suture with parabola bent at central part; anterior part of segment VII with a tiny semi-oval flap which is finely margined and bears multiple tiny sclerotised tubercules. In females, any anterior sclerotisations are absent. Mid part of sterna in both sexes are slightly more densely melanised; the lateral sides of abdominal segments are speckled with tiny scobination.

Male genitalia ( Figs 100, 101, 132): Tegumen broad triangular with sclerotised margins; uncus and sub-scaphium well developed with forked at base and narrowly fused at apex gnathos carrying one spiculose socius; sub-scaphium densely setose with short stout setae directed radially; valvae with very long curved and strong basal apodemes, that form transverse support; transtilla is present connecting bases of valvae as a narrow horizontal bar with broadened ends; the role of transverse support is also taken by a very broad and sclerotised basal joint of tegumen; valvae equally broad along entire length, biforked at cucullus; sacculus is a very broad fold covering almost entire ventral surface of valva; ventral surface of valvae and especially costal sub-apical and ventral margins are densely covered with thin setae of different lengths, especially at ventral sub-costal and sub-saccular areas are densely setose; a group of thick, dentate digitiform, thick and strong setae is present on valval fold just before the split of apical fork; sacculus is with small but visible folded flap; vinculum V-shaped with broad lateral sides, that are folded into the genital capsule; without a mid-suture, saccus developed, but small—a tiny appendage with sharp apex. Aedeagus of mid length, thick, tubular, with wrinkled vesica; a sub-vesical area covered with tiny arrowhead-shaped sclerotisations; coecum is not distinctive from the body of aedeagus.

Female genitalia ( Figs 113, 114): Papillae anales fused with strongly sclerotised basal ring, apophyses posteriores initiate at the posterior margin of segment IX+X, with very broad basal part, angulated, sinuating entering the posterior ¼ of segment VIII; segment VIII strongly sclerotised, it is melanised more intense than segment VII, segment VIII carries very short bent apophyses anteriores that are “hidden” by the posterior part of sternum VII. Segment VII with a pair of lateral sterigmatic folds. The opening of ductus bursae at sub-posterior margin of segment VII, lamella post-vaginalis as tiny indentation on sternum VII; antrum widened, melanised, ductus bursae very narrow, thin at the initial part and gradually widens towards corpus bursae; no clear distinction between ductus bursae and corpus bursae is present in shape except the termination of sclerotised sheath that encircles and keeps ductus bursae; sac-shaped, widening at anterior margin, without particular sclerotisations or signa on anterior part. Ductus spermathecae very narrow, with three convolutions, enters ductus bursae at anterior margin of segment VII.

BOLD data: https://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Taxbrowser_Taxonpage?taxon= Cyphosticha+pyrochroma &searchTax=Search+Taxonomy

GenBank data: No data.

Mitogenomic data: The species is only weakly supported as sister to C. callimacha , with these two species and C. pandoxa forming a very strongly supported monophylum ( Fig. 637).

Bionomics: No data.

Distribution: Australia: New South Wales ( Turner 1940: 54), Queensland ( Turner 1894: 129).