Species Paralaea porphyrinaria (Guenée, 1857)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Chlenias porphyrinaria Guenée, A. 1857. Uranides et Phalénites II. In, Boisduval, J.-A. & Guenée, A. (eds). Histoire Naturelle des Insectes. Species général des Lépidoptères. Paris : Librarie Encyclopédique de Roret Vol. 10 584 pp., 24 pls. [237].

  Type data:

   Lectotype MNHP ♂, Tasmania.
• Palleopa rufivena Walker, F. 1866. Supplement 5. List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum 35: 1534-2040 [incl. Summary and Index to parts 31-35] [1956].

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH ♂, Tasmania.

 

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Common, I.F.B. 1990. Moths of Australia. Carlton : Melbourne University Press vi+535 pp., 32 pls. [365] (Paralaea porphyrinaria (Guenée))
• McQuillan, P.B. & Edwards, E.D. 1996. Geometridae. pp. 200-228 in Nielsen, E.S., Edwards, E.D. & Rangsi, T.V. (eds). Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera. Collingwood : CSIRO Publishing Vol. 4 xiv 529 pp. & CD-ROM. [204] (Palleopa rufivena Walker)

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria

Extra Distribution Information

This species occupies tall eucalypt forest in the south-eastern part of Australia, where annual rainfall exceeds 900 mm. In South Australia it occurs in remnant E. obliqua-E. baxteri forest in the wettest pockets (1000-1100 mm annual rainfall) of the Mount Lofty Ranges whereas the adjacent drier E. odorata forest supports P. ochrosoma. In Tasmania, P. porphyrinaria is particularly associated with tall forests dominated by any of E. globulus, E. regnans, E. obliqua or E. bicostata (Flinders Island).

Australian Endemic.

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Caterpillar: herbivore (associated flora: Eucalyptus l'Hérit. [MYRTACEAE] Gum trees).

 

Diagnosis

The large size, purplish colouring and almost uniformly dark hindwings help differentiate this species from other members of the genus. The lateral processes of the male juxta are small for the genus, the uncus is relatively short and apically broad and the straight spines on the vesica are relatively small. The female antenna has noticeable rami, the sclerotised part of the ductus is relatively short while its upper membranous section is only weakly asymmetrical. There is apparently clinal variation in size and colour intensity with Tasmanian and Victorian specimens being larger and darker than those from New South Wales and southern Queensland.

 

Diagnosis References

McQuillan, P.B., Young, C.J. & Richardson, A.M.M. 2001. A revision of the Australian moth genus Paralaea Guest (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Ennominae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 15: 277–317

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
21-Feb-2022	GEOMETROIDEA	24-Nov-2023	MODIFIED	Dr Cathy Byrne (TMAG) Di Moyle (TMAG)
21-Feb-2022	GEOMETRIDAE	24-Nov-2023	MODIFIED	Dr Federica Turco (QM)
21-Feb-2022		24-Nov-2023	MODIFIED
21-Feb-2022		24-Nov-2023	MODIFIED
		26-May-2010	MODIFIED