Sympycnodes Turner, 1932

Kallies, Axel, 2012, Revision of Cossinae and small Zeuzerinae from Australia (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) 3454, Zootaxa 3454 (1), pp. 1-62 : 25-26

Sympycnodes Turner, 1932

Type species Sympycnodes trigonocosma Turner, 1932 (junior subjective synonym of Zeuzera tripartita T.P. Lucas, 1892 )

Sympycnodes was erected by Turner (1932) who based his description mainly on the absence of a median cell (figured in Common 1990) in the two species, Sympycnodes tripartita and Sympycnodes rhaptodes , that he placed in this genus. Although Schoorl (1990) noticed that the development of the median cell is variable even among closely related species, he retained this genus as valid, as did Edwards (1996).

We have re-examined E. encalypti (the type species of Endoxyla ; Figs 88, 89 , 114 , 119 ), S. tripartita (the type species of Sympycnodes ; Figs 90, 91 , 115 , 120 ), S. rhaptodes ( Figs 92–95 , 116 , 121, 122 ), and a series of smaller Zeuzerinae species previously considered belonging to Endoxyla ( Figs 96–99 , 123, 124 ), but showing some similarities with S. rhaptodes . We found that the venation of the median cell is indeed highly variable and probably not a suitable character to distinguish genera. In most species examined vein M, running through the cell, is weak and atrophied, while it is partially or fully lost in the remainder ( Figs 114–118 ). Thus, this character represents a gradient rather than two qualitatively different states. Our examination of the venation, however, revealed that all of the smaller Zeuzerinae species examined here, including S. tripartita , differ considerably from E. encalypti . While in all of the smaller species R 4 and R 5 of the forewing are long stalked ( Figs 115–118 ), the stalk is very short in E. encalypti ( Fig. 114 ). Furthermore, R 3 ends at the costa in all of the smaller species, whereas it runs into the apex in E. encalypti . Finally, R 3 and the stalk of R 4 and R 5 are very well developed and strong in the smaller species ( Figs 115–118 ), but weak in E. encalypti ( Fig. 114 ). Another possible autapomorphy for Sympycnodes could be the presence of a crista near the ventral edge of the inner surface of the valva in most species ( Figs 131–140 ).

Based on these differences, rather than the characters of the median cell, we transfer two similar species, Endoxyla epicycla Turner, 1945 and Endoxyla arachnophora Turner, 1945 , to Sympycnodes . We further describe six new species, which form a new species group, the Sympycnodes digitata sp. nov. species group.

A modern phylogenetic analysis of the Australian Cossidae is likely to identify additional species that belong to Sympycnodes as well as reveal the need to erect additional genera to accommodate the diverse Australian Zeuzerinae ; however, as such an analysis or a complete revision of the Australian species currently belonging to Endoxyla is beyond the scope of this study, we refrain from transferring other species to Sympycnodes . Similarly, other species, occurring outside of Australia, such as Sceletophyllon kalisi ( Roepke, 1957) , that are similar to S. tripartita may belong to the genus Sympycnodes .

Figures

FIGURES 88–95. Zeuzerinae, adults. Figs 88–89. Endoxyla encalypti. 88. ♂, Queensland (ANIC). 89. ♀, Australian Capital Territory (ANIC). Figs 90–91. Sympycnodes tripartita. 90. ♂, Queensland (ANIC). 91. ♀, Queensland (ANIC). Figs 92–95. Sympycnodes rhaptodes. 92. ♂, Victoria (CAK). 93. ♀, Victoria (CAK). 94. ♂, New South Wales (ANIC). 95. ♀, New South Wales (ANIC).

FIGURES 114–118. Zeuzerinae species, wing venation, a. forewing, b. hindwing. Fig. 114. Endoxyla encalypti (wing slide DJH0032). Fig. 115. Sympycnodes tripartita (wing slide DJH0026). Fig. 116. S. rhaptodes (wing slide DJH0023). Fig. 117. S. dunnorum sp. nov. (wing slide DJH0019). Fig. 118. S. salterra sp. nov. (wing slide DJH0019).

FIGURES 119–124. Zeuzerinae, male genitalia. Fig. 119. Endoxyla encalypti (GP DJH0032, CDH). Fig. 120. Sympycnodes tripartita, (GP AK698, ANIC). Figs 121–122. S. rhaptodes. 121. (GP AK662, ANIC). 122. (GP AK655, ANIC). 123. S. epicycla comb. nov. (GP DJH0015, CDH). 124. S. arachnophora comb. nov. (GP AK687, ANIC).

FIGURES 96–105. Sympycnodes species, adults. Figs 96–97. S. epicycla comb. nov. 96. ♂, Victoria (CDH). 97. ♀, Victoria (CAK). Figs 98–99. S. arachnophora comb. nov., Australian Capital Territory. 98. ♂ (ANIC). 99. ♀ (ANIC). Figs 100–101. S. digitata sp. nov., Victoria. 100. ♂ (holotype, ANIC). 101. ♀ (paratype, ANIC). Figs 102–105. S. dunnorum sp. nov. 102. ♂, Victoria (paratype, ANIC). 103. ♀, New South Wales (paratype, ANIC). 104. ♂, South Australia (CDH). 105. ♂, Western Australia (ANIC).

FIGURES 131–140. Sympycnodes species, male genitalia, details of valvae. Fig. 131. S. tripartita (GP AK698, ANIC). Fig. 132. S. rhaptodes (GP AK685, CDH). Fig. 133. S. epicycla comb. nov. (GP DJH0015, CDH). Fig. 134. S. digitata sp. nov. (GP DJH0030, ANIC). Fig. 135. S. dunnorum sp. nov. (GP DJH0029, CDH) Fig. 136. S. interstincta sp. nov. (GP DJH0018, ANIC). Fig. 137. S. salterra sp. nov. (GP AK679, ANIC). Fig. 138. S. salterra sp. nov. (GP AK665, ANIC). Fig. 139. S. uptoni sp. nov. (GP DJH0016, ANIC). Fig. 140. S. adrienneae sp. nov. (GP AK677, ANIC).