Acalyphes Turner, 1926

Young, Catherine J., 2006, Descriptions of the eggs of some southern Australian Geometridae (Lepidoptera), Zootaxa 1287, pp. 1-294 : 1-294

Acalyphes Turner (Figs 1–15)

This genus inhabits the alpine and sub­alpine regions of Tasmania and the eggs of both species are illustrated. The eggs of the two species are very similar and those of A. philorites Turner (Figs 1–7) bear a close resemblance to the eggs of Archephanes zalosema Turner described below. Acalyphes eggs are moderately broad, bluntly ovoid and with the anterior pole slightly angled to the micropylar axis. The egg is marked all over by hexagonal flat cells which are relatively more clearly defined in Acalyphes sp. than the generally barely discernible cell form in A. philorites . Aeropyles are slightly elevated with small openings and are distributed on the anterior pole and narrow lateral sides. The rosette and secondary micropylar cells are recessed. The chorion of Acalyphes sp. is more rugose than that of the other species (Fig. 15).

Acalyphes sp. eggs are further distinguished by the multiple aeropyles or pores arranged along the cell walls (Fig. 14). However this character appears in all subfamilies and occurs in the Australian nacophorines Chlenias ‘ banksiaria ’ Le Guillou, C. seminigra Rosenstock , and Smyriodes aplectaria Guenée , the Australian boarmiines Gastrinodes sp. and Scioglyptis sp. 1 (described below), the Australian larentiine Epyaxa subidaria Guenée , ( Xanthorhoini ) (described below) and the Nearctic ennomines ( Ourapterygini ) Caripeta divisata Walker and Cingilia catenaria Drury ( Salkeld 1983) . Multiple aeropyles also appear to be reasonably common in Nearctic larentiines ( Xanthorhoini ), e.g. Xanthorhoe packardata McDunnough , X. labradorensis Packard , X. lacustrata Guenée , X. decloraria Esper , Epirrhoe alternata Müller and Euphiya unangulata Haworth [all described by Salkeld (1983)].

Note: The identity of multiple aeropyles is in doubt. As stated, Salkeld (1983) refers to them as aeropyles. However García­Barros and Martín (1995) were uncertain of the homology of openings that occur along cell walls and not at cell junctions, with aeropyles.