Prophylactis Meyrick, 1897

5.1. Prophylactis Meyrick, 1897 View in CoL stat. rev.

Prophylactis Meyrick, 1897: 408. Type species: Prophylactis argochalca Meyrick, 1897, by original designation. View in CoL

Description.

Cream-white, grey-beige, or metallic beige with metallic gold, silver and sometimes violet sheen. Wingspan 4 to 9 mm. — Head: Uniformly cream, yellow, beige or light brown coloured, lighter ventrally; clothed with appressed lamellar scales (Fig. 6 C View Figure 6 ). Roughly triangular in lateral view, hemispherical in dorsal and ventral view (Fig. 6 D View Figure 6 ). Anterior edge of head capsule arched, with indents adjacent to eyes and below anterior tentorial pits, which are prominent. Scales on the occiput spathulate with indented apex, forming a collar at the boundary with the prothorax (Fig. 6 C View Figure 6 ). Scales on the frons large and partially covering the mouthparts (Fig. 6 C, D View Figure 6 ), while on the vertex larger and more spathulate. Labrum small and triangular; without pilifers. Mandibles vestigial or absent. Maxilla consisting of an ovoid “ basal piece ” ( Kristensen 1999), likely the fused cardio and stipes, on which are small four-segmented palps and a well-developed proboscis that is unscaled and much longer than labial palps but sometimes coiled and obscured by scales. Labium bearing porrect three-segmented labial palps. Segments cylindrical with length ratio approximately 2: 1: 2, and the terminal segment with notch at apex. Labial palps surface covered with dense scales, cream on the base segment, while brownish on the apical two. Eyes red (Fig. 1 D View Figure 1 ) extending to the ventral margin of the head capsule and past the lateral and posterior margins (Fig. 6 D View Figure 6 ); intra-ommatidial setae present anteroventrally (Fig. 6 E View Figure 6 ). Antennae approximately two-thirds the length of forewing; scapes and pedicels cylindrical, similar in length and twice as long as flagellomeres; 25 to 35 cylindrical flagellomeres with two annuli containing 8 sets of 5 overlapping scales in the basal ring and 8 sets of 4 to 7 overlapping scales in the distal ring (Fig. 6 F View Figure 6 ). — Thorax: Dorsal surface of prothorax and mesothorax uniformly cream, yellow, beige or light brown with a metallic sheen; similar colour as the head and the basal margin of the costa on the forewings; dorsal surface of metathorax darker and similar in colour to dorsal surface of abdomen; all segments lighter laterally and ventrally. — Legs: Legs brown with metallic sheen dorsally, cream ventrally; spur formula 0-2 - 4; protibia with large epiphysis; cream tibial brush present on hind legs of both males and females (Fig. 10 G, H View Figure 10 ). — Wings: Forewings lanceolate. Hindwings falcate with distal half of costa concave. Dorsal surface of forewings ranging in colour from cream, grey-beige, to beige with silver or gold sheen, sometimes with faint blue shine and some species with scattered lighter and darker scales; dorsum without spots or fasciae, except for a highly distinctive undescribed species from Western Australia. Ventral surface generally light brown or brown; fringe of similar colour as dorsal surface. Dorsal surface of hindwings generally slightly darker than forewing, beige or light brown with less silver or gold sheen than forewing; ventral surface grey to grey-brown, lighter than ventral surface of forewing, and patches black, cream or yellow androconial scales present in some species ( P. molloyax sp. nov., P. clavatallax sp. nov. and P. binbin sp. nov.) and an androconial brush found more widely (Fig. 7 H View Figure 7 ); fringe same colour as dorsal surface. In some species, males with 15-20 flattened androconial scales (similar in length to the frenulum) forming a brush and originating from the dorsal surface of hindwings just below the costal margin distal of the frenulum for half the length of the wings (Fig. 7 H View Figure 7 ). — Wing coupling: In males, frenula composed of a single bristle of approximately 1 / 3 length of hindwing (Fig. 7 A, B, E, F View Figure 7 ); while approximately 15-20 pseudofrenular bristles present along the costa, each about 2 / 3 the length of the frenula. Retinacula formed from a series of scales and hooks running above Sc from base to midway along the costal margin. In female, frenula absent but with 15 to 20 pseudofrenular bristles. — Wing venation: Forewings (Sc, Rs 1 to Rs 4, M, CuA 1 and 1 A + 2 A) and hindwings (Sc + R 1, Rs, M 1, M 2, M 3, CuA 1, CuA 2 and 1 A + 2 A) with eight terminal veins (Fig. 7 A-E View Figure 7 ). Venation similar throughout the genus with minor differences on forewings between and within species in: (i) strength of cross veins, resulting in cell being closed (Fig. 7 B View Figure 7 ) or open (Fig. 7 D View Figure 7 ) and (ii) position of cross veins being either before (Fig. 7 B View Figure 7 ) or after the Rs 2 branch. — Abdomen: Grey-brown to brown dorsally, sometimes metallic beige; cream ventrally. In both males and females, tergites covered with small deeply serrated scales, becoming less numerous on posterior tergites, especially tergites VII and VIII (in males). On each tergite, scales larger but less serrated and appear lighter toward the posterior margin (Fig. 6 G View Figure 6 ). Sternum (S) IIa butterfly-shaped with a central line of stronger sclerotization. SIIp U-shaped with thin apodemes extending anterior of SIIa. SIII to SVI in female rectangular, more heavily sclerotized than tergites. Tergite (T) I trapezoidal with narrower anterior margin; surface membranous but with strong marginal sclerotization along the anterior edge at point of articulation with metathorax, lateral edges, and lateral parts of posterior margin. TII trapezoidal, wider anteriorly with stronger sclerotization of the anterior part of the lateral margin. TIII to TVI rectangular to roughly square. — Abdomen males: Scales projecting from posterior margin of tergite VIII partly covering the valvae (Fig. 6 G View Figure 6 ). — Abdomen females: Unmodified (Fig. 6 H View Figure 6 ) or with TVII and TVIII modified to form pollen-collecting structures (Figs 6 A, B View Figure 6 , 12 View Figure 12 , S 1). — Female genitalia: (Fig. 13 View Figure 13 ). SVIII weakly truncate at terminal end. Tip of oviscapt sharply pointed; anterior and posterior apophyses usually subequal in length, a long interapodemal process present between anterior apophyses. In some species, anterior apophyses weakly bent inward near apical 1 / 3. In some species, the tip of posterior apophyses with oval sclerotised plate, the plate surface covered with short, dense, strong spines. — Male genitalia: (Figs 14 View Figure 14 , 15 View Figure 15 ). Vinculum (SIX) long and wide, forming a half-cone, approximately 2 / 3 of total length of genitalia. Tegumen (TIX) short, truncate or slightly trapezoid, uncus and gnathos differ between species. Valva almost triangular, distally narrowed with blunt terminal ends, with stalked pectinifer at apical 1 / 2-1 / 3 of inner margin, pecten covered with dense blunt comb-like sensilla. Transtilla elongate arch-like, median area usually with broad projection, subapical processes long. Juxta present, arrow shape to spathulate. Phallus simple, usually straight and very long, basal margin smooth, apex usually forming a sharp hook or spine. Phallocrypt covered with very dense, sclerotised, short but sharp spines, usually with one or two subapical spines.

Diagnosis.

Species in the genus Prophylactis can be readily distinguished from other genera of Australian Heliozelidae by their plain forewings, that lack any fasciae or spots (Figs 2 C, D View Figure 2 , 4 A-D View Figure 4 , 8 View Figure 8 – 11 View Figure 11 ), and their red eyes. Hoplophanes Meyrick 1897 , from which we have resurrected Prophylactis from synonymy, and Pseliastis Meyrick 1987 , which like Prophylactis are found associated with Rutaceae , have black not red eyes. Pseliastis almost invariably have a fascia at the midpoint of the forewing and often additional medial and distal bands. Hoplophanes often, but not always, have forewings with fasciae. Wing venation is also useful in distinguishing the three genera. Prophylactis species (Fig. 7 A-E View Figure 7 ) can be separated from Hoplophanes (Fig. 7 F View Figure 7 ) by the forewing, which lacks R 1 and one branch of CuA, and the hindwing which has Rs stalked to M near the apical area and Rs-M cross veins absent. Prophylactis species can be separated from Pseliastis (Fig. 7 G View Figure 7 ) by hindwing CuA, which always has two branches, but only one in Pseliastis .

Remarks.

The appearance of Prophylactis moths depends on the direction and nature of the light. Thus, live moths in their natural environment (Fig. 1 C-E View Figure 1 ) appear quite different to set specimens under artificial light (Figs 8 View Figure 8 – 11 View Figure 11 ). Furthermore, the colour depends on the wear of specimen, with fresh specimens appearing lighter, while worn specimens due to the loss of the superficial scales appear darker. The descriptions here are for set moths in good condition.

Life history.

Pollinator and non-pollinator group species of Prophylactis appear to be highly hostplant specific, being associated with a single species of Boronia , or in the case of some undescribed non-pollinator group Prophylactis species, associated with a single species of Cyanothamnus or Zieria . Females were observed to oviposit directly into flowers. P. megastigmallax sp. nov. places its eggs individually at the base of the reduced antipetalous anther on the ovary surface. Larvae emerge from the ovary base and eat their way into the seed they are feeding on basally through the early seed pod. Examination of seedheads containing more advanced larvae showed they usually consume only a single seed per larva. On achieving maturity in late spring or early summer, the larvae were observed emerging from an ovoid hole at the base of the seed within which they had developed. The larvae then dropped onto the soil where they crawled briefly, before burying themselves and becoming prepupal in a firm, sub-surface cocoon. Similar observations were made on a different non-pollinator species of Prophylactis , which develops in the seedheads of Zieria arborescens Sims.

Distribution.

Prophylactis species, like their hostplants, are widely distributed across Australia, being found in Western Australia from Kalbarri in the north to Cape Arid in the south, across South Australia and on the east coast from near Charters Towers in Queensland, throughout New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. With additional collecting efforts it is almost certain that the distribution will expand. The Boronia - pollinating species of Prophylactis , described below, are found exclusively in southern Western Australia where their hostplants grow (Figs S 2 B-F, S 3, S 4); however, B. crassifolia is found close to the border with South Australia and both the plant and its associated moths may be found in that state ( Duretto et al. 2013).

Composition of the genus.

At present we include the following species in the genus: P. argochalca (the type species), P. aglaodora comb. rev., P. chalcopetala comb. rev., P. memoranda comb. rev. and the 15 species described below. While P. aglaodora and P. chalcopetala appear to be typical non- pollinator group species of the genus likely to be associated with Boronia , P. memoranda does not appear to be closely related to other species in the genus. Its precise position will be subject of a future revision of the family.