Synemon septentrionalis, Kallies & Edwards, 2025

Synemon septentrionalis spec. nov. (Northern Striated Sun Moth)

( Figs 53 – 62 View FIGURES 49–56 View FIGURES 57–62 , 64 View FIGURES 63, 64 , 66 View FIGURES 65, 66 , 83 View FIGURES 81-83 )

Synemon species 2 ; Edwards 1998a: 130, Edwards 2004: 14.

New species Zoobank registration: 3FA373BA-8D3C-48BC-89AB-CEE1315AEE5B

Material examined

Holotype: 1♂ “Kelso, Townsville, Q., 18 Mar 1995, G. Wurtz ” ( Figs 53, 54 View FIGURES 49–56 , ANIC 31 About ANIC 011917) . Paratypes: Queensland: 3♂, Kelso, Townsville , 18.iii.1995, G. Wurtz ( ANIC) ; 4 specimens, Townsville, Peter Valentine Property , 22.iv.1995, G. Wurtz (coll. Wurtz, 1♀ in coll. Douglas) ; 7♂, 1♀, The Bluff , 10km E of Mingela, 19°53’S 146°44’E, 12.iv.1993, M.F. Braby ( ANIC) GoogleMaps ; 2♂, Mitchell , 19.iii.1933, 10.iii.1933, E.O.E. Edwards ( Goldfinch coll. in AM) ; 1♂, Cunnamulla , 25.iv.1940, N. Geary ( AM) ; 1♀, Clermont, K.K. Spencer ( AM) ; 4♂, 1♀, Clermont , 16.iii.1921 ( 3♂), 26.iii.1921 ( 1♂), 20.iii.1921 ( 1♀) ( MVM) ; 4 specimens, Murrays Spring , 7km W of Musselbrook Resource Centre, 18°36’15”S 138°04’28”E, 21.iv.1995 (3x), 29.iv.1995 (1x), G. Daniels & M.A. Schneider ( QM) GoogleMaps ; 1♂, Stockyard Camp , 19km NE of Musselbrook Resource Centre, 18°28’06”S 138°14’54”E, 18.iv.1995, G. Daniels & M.A. Schneider ( QM) GoogleMaps ; 1♂, Duaringa , 14.iv.1918 ( ANIC) ; 1♂, 2♀, Port Denison , ( Chau Chak Wing Museum, Sydney) ; 10♂, 1♀, 9km WSW of Torrens Creek , 20°49’S 144°56’E, 2.v.1992, M.F. Braby (slide 11817, ♂) ( Fig. 64 View FIGURES 63, 64 , ANIC, 1♂ in coll. Douglas) GoogleMaps ; 1♂, 1♀, Bowen , 30.iii.1933, J.S. Mackay ( MVM) ; 3♂, 12km SW Bowen , 20°06’S 148°10’E, 25.iv.1992, M.F. Braby (slide 11818) ( Fig. 64 View FIGURES 63, 64 , ANIC) GoogleMaps ; 1♀, 3♂, Selwyn Mine , 160km SE of Mt. Isa, 21°45’S 140°35’E, 3.iv.1994 ( 1♀, Figs 55, 56 View FIGURES 49–56 ), 10.iv.1994 ( 3♂), T. Woodger (slide 11889) ( ANIC) GoogleMaps ; 3♂, 2♀, Amphitheatre Camp , 27km N of Musselbrook Camp, 18°21’S 138°10'E, 13.v.1995, E.D. Edwards (slide 11888) ( Fig. 66 View FIGURES 65, 66 , ANIC) GoogleMaps ; 1♂, Emerald , G. Barnard ( ANIC) ; 35♂, Warang Camp, White Mts , 20°27’S 144°50’E, 5.iv.2000, E.D. Edwards ( ANIC, CAK) GoogleMaps ; 1♂, 1♀, 4km W of Greenvale , 500m, 18.99705°S 144.94604°E, 2.iv.2017, M.F. Braby & L.J. Atchison ( ANIC) GoogleMaps ; 1♂, Burra Range, White Mts , 20.72461°S 145.17805°E, 4.iv.2017, M.F. Braby & L.J. Atchison ( ANIC) GoogleMaps ; 1♂, 1♀, 23.297°S 147.802°E, Kettle State Forest, 45km NW of Emerald, Qld , 14.iv.2021, B. Hacobian ( CAK) GoogleMaps ; 2♂, Youngs Block, Charters Towers , 20°4’53.79”S 146°18’14.97”E, 300 m, 17.iv.2019, M. Hopkinson (coll. Herd) GoogleMaps .

Description

Male ( holotype, Figs 53, 54 View FIGURES 49–56 ). Wingspan 37.5 mm. Head: vertex grey, thick piliform grey scales obscuring black lamellar scales, frons with dense pale grey piliform scales and dense white lamellar scales beside eyes, labial palpi short, porrect, appressed to head, just reaching frons, white, haustellum vestigial, antenna grey, above and beneath broadly annulated with white, club grey above, white, grey and yellow beneath, expanding fairly abruptly, nudum 9 orange brown on anterior third of club, apiculus minute of a single annulus. Thorax: above dark grey of mixed dark grey piliform and black lamellar scales, beneath white, legs pale yellow or straw above, white or pale yellow beneath, epiphysis clothed in minute spinules, inserted below about half length of foretibia, long, spine-like, not reaching end of foretibia. Abdomen: dark grey above, distally grey-brown, T2 – T3 with numerous long grey scales, beneath white.

Forewing: dark grey with markings of off-white or ash grey, whole wing dusted with ash grey scales, an off-white patch at end of cell, a series of white streaks from beyond cell almost to termen, placed between the veins, and the series extending from R3 to CuP, costa dark grey, one large streak below cell ash grey, extending from base to beyond middle of wing, termen dark grey. Cilia dark grey. Underside with costa yellow, basal half of wing black, outer half yellow to orange yellow, a yellow spot at end of cell barely distinct, apical area pale yellow with some black scales along veins. Cilia pale grey.

Hindwing: dark grey to black, dot at end of cell absent, a series of pale orange-brown ill-defined patches between veins forming an obscure band on outer third, patches between CuA1 and 1A+2A with obscure, ill-defined dark grey spots within band, tornus dark grey. Cilia dark grey, yellow at tornus. Underside with costa black, remainder of wing black, a broad marginal band of yellow or pale-yellow extending from Sc+R1 to tornus, interrupted at veins by black streaks. Cilia brown, yellow at tornus, white on inner margin.

Genitalia ( Fig. 64 View FIGURES 63, 64 ): Valva wide at the base, abruptly narrower towards the apex, apex pointed upwards, dorsal edge with a low convex arch, with long simple setae, uncus wide and simple, with long setae; phallus relatively long, arched, widening towards distal end, with a short apical projection, phallobase wide; vinculum with two small projections.

Female ( paratype, Figs 55, 56 View FIGURES 49–56 ). Wingspan 41.5 mm. Similar to male on upperside, larger, forewing with white markings less extensive, with a long white streak between R5 and M1 and much shorter streaks between M3 and CuP aligned with cell spot, hindwing with outer orange-brown band paler, larger, more distinct, lunate on inner margin with the black spots between M1 and M3 and between CuA1 and 1A+2A larger than in male. Underside forewing costa yellow, basal third black irrorated with yellow, a pale-yellow spot at end of cell, an obscure post median row of pale-yellow streaks, a subterminal row of elongate black spots between the veins from R4 to M3, a narrow terminal line brown. Cilia grey-white. Hindwing inner half to two thirds black, yellow spot at end of cell small or absent, outer third yellow orange, a row of black submarginal spots between veins from Rs to M3 and CuA1 to 1A+2A, tornus pale yellow, a narrow black terminal line. Cilia grey-white.

Genitalia ( Fig. 66 View FIGURES 65, 66 ): Ovipositor long, extendable and pointed, papillae anales covered in long setae, ductus bursae relatively long and straight, corpus bursae ovoid and simple; apophyses posteriores long, reaching beyond corpus bursae.

Diagnosis. Synemon septentrionalis spec. nov. has greyer forewings than S. collecta and S. yimanorum spec. nov. and a much less streaked appearance than these species and S. gunggariensis spec. nov. It also differs from these three species in the absence of the elliptical spots on the forewing and in the absence of the coloured spot at the end of the cell in the hindwing but in these features, it is similar to S. striolata spec. nov. with which it also cooccurs. From S. striolata spec. nov. it is most easily distinguished by the bar at the end of the cell of the forewing which is angled and transverse in S. septentrionalis spec. nov. but is a longitudinal white streak in S. striolata spec. nov. extending halfway to the margin. The coloured areas of the hindwing are less extensive than in S. striolata spec. nov. Rarely are the elliptical patches visible on the forewing of S. striolata spec. nov. and never in S. septentrionalis spec. nov. The genitalia of S. collecta , S. kunama spec. nov., S. yimanorum spec. nov., S. gunggariensis spec. nov. and S. septentrionalis spec. nov. are very similar. In male S. septentrionalis spec. nov., however, the phallus is thinner, somewhat wider subapically before tapering into narrow extension. The valva has a well-developed apical extension, which is wider than in S. kunama spec. nov. and S. yimanorum spec. nov. but much narrower than in S. gunggariensis spec. nov.

Variability. There is considerable variability in size and the extent of the white markings in this species.

Etymology. The species’ name derives from the septentrional, meaning ‘of the north’.

Biology and distribution. Synemon septentrionalis spec. nov. occurs in dry grassy woodland ( Figs 57 – 62 View FIGURES 57–62 ) from the inland of southern (Cunnamulla) to northern Queensland (Musselbrook Resource Centre) ( Fig. 83 View FIGURES 81-83 ). Undoubtedly, it also occurs in the east of the Northern Territory. The main flight period is in March and April but there are also records from early May. The hostplant of S. septentrionalis spec. nov. is thought to be Chrysopogon fallax S.T.Blake 1944 (Golden Beard Grass, Poaceae ), a perennial tufted grass (M. Braby, personal communication).

Conservation status. This species may be regionally endangered by grazing, but due to its large range, it can be considered secure at this stage.