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Type: Article
Published: 2020-02-13
Page range: 351–374
Abstract views: 97
PDF downloaded: 6

Three new ghost moths of the genus Oxycanus Walker, 1856 from Australia (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae)

South Australian Museum, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
South Australian Museum, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
South Australian Museum, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
South Australian Museum, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
Lepidoptera COI DNA barcodes short-range endemics taxonomy

Abstract

Three new species of ghost moth, Oxycanus ephemerous sp. nov., O. flavoplumosus sp. nov., and O. petalous sp. nov. are described from South Australia, New South Wales, and south-west Western Australia, respectively. We illustrate these species and compare morphological and molecular (mtDNA COI gene) characters with similar Oxycanus Walker, 1856 species from Australia. Comparative images of Oxycanus subvaria (Walker, 1856), O. byrsa (Pfitzner, 1933), and O. determinata (Walker, 1856) are figured. The type material of the three new species are held in the Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra, the Western Australian Museum, Perth, and in the South Australian Museum, Adelaide. The type specimens of Oxycanus hildae Tindale, 1964 syn. n. were also examined and the taxon is here considered synonymous with O. subvaria. Concerns are raised about the conservation status of all three new species due to few or localised distribution records.

 

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