Species Dirce oriplancta Turner, 1926

Dirce oriplancta, mature larva on Phaerosphaera hookeriana.

© Copyright C. Young

Dirce oriplancta, male.

Museums

Regional Maps

• Dirce oriplancta Turner, A.J. 1926. New and little-known Tasmanian Lepidoptera. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 1925: 81-117 [106].

  Type data:

   Holotype ♂, Tasmania, Lake Fenton, 3500 ft.

Introduction

Dirce oriplancta flies in early summer. It appears to be limited in distribution to Mt Field in southern Tasmania although this is most likely an artifact of under-collection. The larva feeds on the prostrate alpine conifer Pherosphaera hookeriana (W.Archer bis) (Podocarpaceae) during the autumn months. Dirce oriplancta is moderately small, rather dull in colour, being cryptically coloured. They lack the flash colouration present on the hindwings of lunaris and solaris (Young 2006).

Distribution

States

Tasmania

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

Ecological Descriptors

Caterpillar: herbivore (associated flora: Pherosphaera hookeriana W. Archer [PODOCARPACEAE] drooping pine).

General References

Young, C.J. 2006. Molecular relationships of the Australian Ennominae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) and implications for the phylogeny of the Geometridae from molecular and morphological data. Zootaxa 1264: 1–147

History of changes