Clerarcha Meyrick, 1890
Clerarcha Meyrick, 1890. Descriptions of Australian Lepidoptera. Part I. Xyloryctidae. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 13: 23–81 [54]. Type species: Clerarcha agana Meyrick, 1890 by subsequent designation, see Fletcher, T.B. 1929.
Clerarcha Meyrick, 1890. Lower, 1896: A catalogue of Victorian Heterocera. Part xix. The Victorian Naturalist, 12: 149-152.
Clerarcha Meyrick, 1890. T.P. Lucas, 1900: New Species of Queensland Lepidoptera. Proc. R. Soc. Qld. 15: 137-161.
Clerarcha Meyrick, 1890. Lower, 1903, Descriptions of New Species of Xysmatodoma, &c. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 27, 216-239 (223).
Clerarcha = junior objective synonym of Xylorycta [Cryptophasidae]. Meyrick, 1905, Descriptions of Indian Micro-lepidoptera. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 16 (4): 580-618 (602).
Clerarcha Meyrick, 1890 = junior subjective synonym of Phthonerodes, Meyrick, 1890. Fletcher, T. B., 1929, A list of generic names used for Microlepidoptera. Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture of India, 11: 1-244 [50,175].
Clerarcha Meyrick, 1890. Common, in Nielsen, Edwards, & Rangsi, 1996, Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, 4: i-xiv, 1-529 & CD-ROM [86].
Clerarcha Meyrick, 1890. Beccaloni, G. W., Scoble, M. J., Robinson, G. S. & Pitkin, B. (Editors). 2003. The Global Lepidoptera Names Index (LepIndex). World Wide Web electronic publication. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/entomology/lepindex [accessed 16 June 2010].
Clerarcha Meyrick, 1890. Edwards, E. D. (2003), Xyloryctinae. Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/fauna/afd/taxa/XYLORYCTINAE [accessed 16 June 2010].
Clerarcha Meyrick, 1890. B. Pitkin and P. Jenkins, Butterflies and Moths of the World: Generic Names and their Type-species, 2004. World Wide Web electronic publication. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/research/projects/butmoth/ [accessed 16 June 2010].
Original description, Meyrick 1890
Clerarcha, n.g.
Head with appressed hairs; ocelli absent; tongue developed. Antennae moderate, in male serrate and dentate, moderately ciliated (1), basal joint moderate, without pecten. Labial palpi very long, recurved, second joint with appressed scales, slightly roughened beneath, terminal joint nearly as long as second, smooth, acute. Maxillary palpi very short, appressed to tongue. Thorax smooth. Abdomen moderate. Posterior tibiae rough-haired above and beneath. Forewings with vein 1 furcate towards base, 2 from 2/3, 3 from angle, 7 and 8 stalked, 7 to apex, 11 from middle. Hindwings over 1, trapezoidal-ovate; towards inner margin and base of 1b clothed with long hairs, 1b shortly furcate at base, 3 and 4 from a point, 5 parallel, 6 and 7 stalked, 8 connected with cell at a point before middle.
Other references
[Brachynemata ochrolitha (Lower, 1903), Oecophoridae] Recalls in general appearance specimens of Clerarcha (Xyloryctidae). Lower, 1903.
Xylorycta Meyr.
I propose to widen the definition of the genus Xylorycta, so far as to unite with it the genera Lichenaula, Telecrates, Clerarcha, Plectophila, and Chalarotona. These were all published by me at the same time, and I select the name of Xylorycta for the resulting group because I made that typical of the family and therefore gave it precedence. The structural characters are thus extended in the following particulars : Antennal ciliations of ♂ variable (½ -3); 7 of forewings to apex or termen; 6 and 7 of hindwings approximated, connate, or stalked. (Meyrick, 1905).
Gen. plectophila.
To this genus I refer Lichenaula choriodes Meyr., poliochyta Turn., and micradelpha Turn. (Turner, 1917).
Crypt. PHTHONERODES, Meyrick 1890.
T. R. Soc. S. Austr. XIII 44-45: type scotarcha M. [S. Australia].
Lichenaula, Meyr. 1890.
Tymbophora, Meyr. 1890.
Clerarcha, Meyr. 1890.
Xylorycta, Meyr 1890.
Chalarotona, Meyr. 1890.
Illidgea, Turner, 1897.
Neopdrepta, Turner, 1897.
(Fletcher, 1929).
Description:
Head:
Thorax:
Abdomen:
Immature stages:
Distribution: Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).
Remarks:
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Clerarcha agana Meyrick, 1890
BMNH(E)-954115, lectotype, m
BMNH(E)-954116, paralectotype, f.
BMNH(E)-954117, paralectotype, m.
Clerarcha agana. lectotypes, BMNH.
Photographs: Patrick Strutzenberger for BOLD, ©BMNH.
Clerarcha agana ♂ - WA, 5 miles W of Nannup, 1. Apr. 1968, I.F.B. Common M.S. Upton leg. (ANIC). [AMO].
Clerarcha agana Meyrick, 1890. Descriptions of Australian Lepidoptera. Part I. Xyloryctidae. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 13: 23–81 [54]. Syntype(s) BMNH 6♂♀, Mt Lofty, SA; Perth and Geraldton, WA.
Phthonerodes agana M. [Cryptophasidae]. Fletcher, T.B. 1929. A list of generic names used for Microlepidoptera. Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture in India, 11: 1–244 [50].
Clerarcha agana Meyrick, 1890. Common, in Nielsen, Edwards, & Rangsi, 1996, Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, 4: i-xiv, 1-529 & CD-ROM [86].
Clerarcha agana, Meyrick 1890, Beccaloni, G. W., Scoble, M. J., Robinson, G. S. & Pitkin, B. (Editors). 2003. The Global Lepidoptera Names Index (LepIndex). World Wide Web electronic publication. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/entomology/lepindex [accessed 15 Septermber 2019].
Clerarcha agana Meyrick, 1890. Edwards, E. D. (2003), Xyloryctinae. Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/fauna/afd/taxa/XYLORYCTINAE [accessed 16 June 2010].
Original description, Meyrick 1890
Cler. agana, n. sp.
Both sexes 15-18 mm. Head and thorax white, densely irrorated with ochreous-grey. Palpi white, second joint dark ochreous-grey, except at base and apex; terminal joint grey on anterior edge. Antennae whitish. Abdomen grey-whitish. Legs grey, posterior pair whitish. Forewings elongate, costa moderately arched, apex round-pointed, hindmargin very obliquely rounded; white, irrorated with dark ochreous-grey, dorsal half suffused with pale grey; four small roundish cloudy rather dark grey spots, first three arranged in a longitudinal row in disc at 1/3. ½, and 2/3, fourth directly beneath third: cilia whitish, base sprinkled with dark grey. Hindwings pale whitish-grey; cilia ochreous-whitish.
Mount Lofty, South Australia; Geraldton and Perth, West Australia, from October to January, and in April; six specimens. Larva feeding in seed-cones of Banksia marginata, forming a mat of the soft down, which is spread along the branch, several larvae living together. For this information I am indebted to Mr. E. Guest, who has bred the species.
Diagnosis:
Description:
Head:
Thorax:
Abdomen:
Food plants: Larva in flower spike. Larval foodplant: Banksia marginata (Proteaceae). (Edwards, 2003).
Flight period: October - January, April.
Distribution: South Australia, Western Australia. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).
Remarks:
Clerarcha dryinopa Meyrick, 1890.
Clerarcha dryinopa, BMNH(E)-954120, holotype, BMNH.
Clerarcha dryinopa♂ - NSW, 2.7 km NE of Queanbeyan, 29. Jun. 1988, I.F.B. Common leg.
(ANIC). [AMO].
Clerarcha dryinopa Meyrick, 1890. Descriptions of Australian Lepidoptera. Part I. Xyloryctidae. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 13: 23–81 [54]. Holotype BMNH ♀, Melbourne, Vic.
Clerarcha dryinopa Meyrick, 1890. Lower, 1896: A catalogue of Victorian Heterocera. Part xix. The Victorian Naturalist, 12: 149-152.
Clenarcha [sic] dryinopa Meyrick, 1890. T. P. Lucas, 1900: New Species of Queensland Lepidoptera. Proc. R. Soc. Qld. 15: 137-161 (158).
Clerarcha dryinopa Meyrick, 1890. Common, in Nielsen, Edwards, & Rangsi, 1996, Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, 4: i-xiv, 1-529 & CD-ROM [86].
Clerarcha dryinopa, Meyrick 1890. Beccaloni, G. W., Scoble, M. J., Robinson, G. S. & Pitkin, B. (Editors). 2003. The Global Lepidoptera Names Index (LepIndex). World Wide Web electronic publication. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/entomology/lepindex [accessed 15 September 2019].
Clerarcha dryinopa Meyrick, 1890. Edwards, E. D. (2003), Xyloryctinae. Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/fauna/afd/taxa/XYLORYCTINAE [accessed 16 June 2010].
Original description, Meyrick, 1890
Cler. dryinopa, n. sp.
Female 24 mm. Head, palpi, antennae, thorax, and abdomen ochreous-white, partially tinged with brownish-ochreous; abdominal segments with obscure narrow median transverse reddish hairs. Legs whitish, suffused with light ochreous. Forewings elongate, costa moderately arched, apex obtuse, hindmargin nearly straight, rather oblique; white, irregularly irrorated with light ochreous; markings light brownish-ochreous, irregularly irrorated with dark fuscous; a moderate cloudy streak from base beneath costa. to apex; a rather broad streak along inner margin from near base to anal angle, confluent with a small spot on submedian fold before middle; an irregular cloudy transverse streak from before 2/3 of costa to anal angle; a broader cloudy transverse streak, angulated outwards above middle, from 3/4 of costa to anal angle, where it coalesces with preceding; a cloudy streak round apex and along hindmargin: cilia pale ochreous, irrorated with fuscous, and indistinctly barred with whitish. Hindwings fuscous-whitish, terminal third suffused with fuscous, darker posteriorly; cilia fuscous-whitish, on upper half of hindmargin indistinctly barred with fuscous.
Melbourne, Victoria; one specimen received from Mr. G. H. Raynor.
Other references
clenarcha dryinopa. Meyr.
May Orchard, Brisbane.
(T.P. Lucas, 1900).
CLERARCHA. Meyr.
644. C. dryinopa, Meyr. (loc. cit., 54, 1889).
Melbourne.
(Lower, 1896).
Diagnosis:
Description:
Head:
Thorax:
Abdomen:
Food plants:
Flight period: June.
Distribution: Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).
Remarks:
Clerarcha grammatistis Meyrick, 1890
BMNH(E)-954111, lectotype, m.
BMNH(E)-954112, paralectotype, m
BMNH(E)-954113, paralectotype, m.
BMNH(E)-954114, paralectotype, m
Clerarcha grammatitis, lectotypes, BMNH.
Photographs: Patrick Strutzenberger for BOLD, ©BMNH.
Clerarcha grammatitis,♂. WA, Albany, 5. Nov. 1957, I.F.B. Common leg. (ANIC). [AMO].
Holotype, Procometis vepallida. NMV
Holotype, Procometis vepallida. NMV,
Holotype, Procometis vepallida. NMV
Clerarcha grammatistis, K-1015. 14.5km W of Vivonne Bay, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, 35º58'38.4"S 137º01'10.8", collected by E.P. & G.P. Beaver, 6-7 October 2018.
Clerarcha grammatistis Meyrick, 1890. Descriptions of Australian Lepidoptera. Part I. Xyloryctidae. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 13: 23–81 [53]. Syntype(s) BMNH 4♂, Perth and Albany, WA.
Procometis vepallida Turner, 1917. Lepidopterological gleanings. Proc. R. Soc. Qd 29: 70–106 [99]. Holotype NMV ♂, Kelmscott, WA.
Clerarcha grammatistis Meyrick, 1890 = Procometis vepallida Turner, 1917, syn. n. Common, in Nielsen, Edwards, & Rangsi, 1996, Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, 4: i-xiv, 1-529 & CD-ROM [86].
Clerarcha grammatistis Meyrick, 1890 = Procometis vepallida Turner, 1917, junior subjective synonym. Beccaloni, G. W., Scoble, M. J., Robinson, G. S. & Pitkin, B. (Editors). 2003. The Global Lepidoptera Names Index (LepIndex). World Wide Web electronic publication. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/entomology/lepindex [accessed 14 September 2019].
Clerarcha grammatistis Meyrick, 1890. Edwards, E. D. (2003), Xyloryctinae. Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/fauna/afd/taxa/XYLORYCTINAE [accessed 16 June 2010].
Original description, Meyrick 1890
Cler. grammatistis, n. sp.
Male 21-26 mm. Head, palpi, and thorax grey, mixed with white. Antennae whitish. Abdomen grey-whitish. Legs white, irrorated with grey. Forewings elongate, costa moderately arched, apex round-pointed, hindmargin nearly straight, oblique; ochreous-grey, irregularly and suffusedly irrorated with white; a black longitudinal dash beneath costa near base; a small white spot in disc at 2/5, followed and often preceded by small suffused spots of black scales, and a small blackish suffused spot on fold rather obliquely before this; a small transverse whitish spot in disc at 2/3, posteriorly suffusedly margined with black, and followed by some scattered black scales; an indistinct cloudy whitish line from costa beyond middle very obliquely outwards to near apex, thence sharply angulated, and continued to anal angle: cilia white, with two faint grey lines, basal half barred with dark grey. Hindwings pale whitish-fuscous; cilia white.
Perth and Albany, West Australia, in September and October; four specimens.
Synonymic description, Turner, 1917
PROCOMETIS VEPALLIDA, n. sp.
Vepallidus, very pale.
♂ 26 mm, Head and palpi grey mixed with whitish. Antennae grey; in ♂ dentate with very short ciliations (1/3). Thorax dark grey. Abdomen dark grey, paler towards base, apices of segments and, tuft grey-whitish.: Legs (missing except) anterior pair fuscous. Forewings oval, costa moderately and evenly , arched, apex round-pointed, termen slightly rounded, oblique; pale grey patchily suffused with whitish, with silky sheen; a, short blackish subcostal basal· streak; a blackish dot on fold at 1/3, preceded and followed by some blackish scales; a blackish discal dot at 2/3; cilia pale grey. Hindwings grey-whitish, paler towards base, darker towards termen; cilia whitish with a pale grey sub-basal line.
Type in Coll. Lyell.
W.A. Kelmscott in September; one specimen received from Mr. G. F. Berthoud.
Diagnosis:
Description:
Head: Haustellum present. Male antennae at first filiform and ventrally ciliate, towards ther distal end they become finely serrate.
Thorax:
Abdomen:
Clerarcha grammatistis, K-1015, male genitalia. Dissected and photographed by Ian McMillan.
Clerarcha grammatistis, K-1015, clasper
Clerarcha grammatistis, K-1015, uncus and gnathos.
Clerarcha grammatistis, K-1015, anellus, saccus and juxta.
Food plants:
Flight period: September-November
Distribution:
Western Australia. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).
Kangaroo Island, South Australia (Beaver, 2018).
Western Australia. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).
Kangaroo Island, South Australia (Beaver, 2018).
Remarks: Clerarcha grammatistis has a close association with Eporycta spp. in BOLD Taxon Trees. There is a close resemblance between C. grammatistis and Eporycta hiracopis.
However, Meyrick (1890) states quite clearly that Eporycta has no haustellum whereas Clerarcha has a slender haustellum, and this specimen is clearly of the Clerarcha group.
From barcode records, it would seem C. grammatistis has no close relationship with other members of the genus.
The generic position of C. grammatistis needs to be clarified.
However, Meyrick (1890) states quite clearly that Eporycta has no haustellum whereas Clerarcha has a slender haustellum, and this specimen is clearly of the Clerarcha group.
From barcode records, it would seem C. grammatistis has no close relationship with other members of the genus.
The generic position of C. grammatistis needs to be clarified.
Clerarcha poliochyta Turner, 1902.
Clerarcha poliochyta, specimens trom the Turner collection marked as types. ANIC, Canberra.
Clerarcha poliochyta♂ - NT, Baroalba Springs, 19 km NEbyE of Mt Cahill Lat. 12' 47'' S Long. 132' 51'' E, 2. Nov. 1972, I.F.B. Common E.D. Edwards M.S. Upton leg. (ANIC). [AMO].
Clerarcha poliochyta♀ - Qld, 12 miles ENE of Rollingstone, 20. Nov. 1979, I.F.B. Common leg. (ANIC). [AMO].
Clerarcha poliochyta Turner, 1902. New Australian Lepidoptera. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 26: 175–207 [198]. Holotype BMNH sex unknown (Turner stated that the type was in the Walsingham collection, now in the BMNH, but there is a specimen marked as the type in the Turner collection, now ANIC), Townsville, Queensland.
Lichenaula poliochyta. Turner, 1917: Lepidopterological gleanings. Proc. R. Soc. Qd. 29: 70-106 [97].
Plectophila poliochyta. Turner, 1917, Lepidopterological gleanings. Proc. R. Soc. Qd. 29: 70-106 [97].
Clerarcha poliochyta Turner, 1902. Common, in Nielsen, Edwards, & Rangsi, 1996, Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, 4: i-xiv, 1-529 & CD-ROM [86].
Clerarcha poliochyta Turner, 1902 [Lichenaula]. Beccaloni, G. W., Scoble, M. J., Robinson, G. S. & Pitkin, B. (Editors). 2003. The Global Lepidoptera Names Index (LepIndex). World Wide Web electronic publication. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/entomology/lepindex [accessed 15 September 2019].
Clerarcha poliochyta Turner, 1902. Edwards, E. D. (2003), Xyloryctinae. Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/fauna/afd/taxa/XYLORYCTINAE [accessed 16 June 2010].
Original description, Turner 1902
Clerarcha poliochyta, n. sp.
Male and female, 20-28 mm. Head, palpi, and thorax white, very sparsely irrorated with dark fuscous. Abdomen grey. Legs white, irrorated, and tarsi annulated with dark fuscous. Forewings elongate-oblong, costa. slightly arched at base, thence nearly straight to near apex, apex round-pointed, termen obliquely rounded; pale grey, mixed with white and dark fuscous; a short narrow vertical dark fuscous line from fold in disc at one-third; a dark fuscous discal dot surrounded by white at two-thirds; a, sub-terminal series of dark fuscous streaks on veins; a series of minute terminal dark fuscous dots obsolete towards costa; cilia grey, bases and extreme apices white. Hindwings elongate-ovate, termen slightly sinuate; grey; cilia whitish with a grey line at one-third.
Townsville, Queensland. in September; four bred specimens received from Mr. F. P. Dodd.
Type in Coll. Walsingham.
Other references
Gen. plectophila.
To this genus I refer Lichenaula choriodes Meyr., poliochyta Turn., and micradelpha Turn. (Turner, 1917).
Diagnosis:
Description:
Head:
Thorax:
Abdomen:
Food plants: Melaleuca quinquenervia (Myrtaceae). (Edwards, 2003).
Flight period:
Distribution: Northern Territory, Queensland. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).
Remarks:
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Page updated 15 September 2019.