Australia currently has six named species in the genus Alucita (Lepidoptera: Alucitidae). This post is to bring together the original descriptions for these species and link these to images for each species.
Alucita acascaea (Turner, 1913)
Turner, A.J. (1913) Studies in Australian Lepidoptera, Pyralidae. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 24: 161:
ORNEODES ACASCAEA, n. sp.
ἀκασκαιος, delicate.
♀ 9 mm. Head, thorax, palpi, and antennae white. Palpi moderate, ascending ; terminal joint about ½ second. Abdomen whitish with several median reddish-fuscous dots Legs white. Forewings white ; markings very pale reddish-fuscous : first segment with a broad fascia beyond middle and a second before apex; other segments with similar markings but much less pronounced ; cilia white. Hind-wings white; segments barred at intervals by fuscous irroration ; cilia white.
In size and fragility this agrees with O. pygmaea.
Type in Coll., Turner.
N.Q. Cardwell, in August; one specimen.
Alucita agapeta (Turner, 1913)
Turner, A.J. (1913) Studies in Australian Lepidoptera, Pyralidae. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 24: 161-162:
ORNEODES AGAPETA, n. sp.
ἀγαπητος, lovely.
♂ 17 mm. Head white: face grey with some white scales. Palpi short, ascending ; terminal joint ¼, whitish. Antennae grey-whitish ; in ♂ finely serrate and minutely ciliated. Thorax and abdomen white. Legs white ; anterior pair suffused with fuscous anteriorly. Forewings white ; costa interruptedly fuscous ; first segment with four or five pale-fuscous bars in posterior half; bars formed by dark-fuscous irroration on second, third, fourth, and fifth segments before middle; broad pale-fuscous fasciae edged by dark-fuscous scales on second and third segments at ⅚, on fourth and fifth segments at ¾, and on sixth segment at ⅔ ; pale-fuscous sub-terminal bars and dark-fuscous terminal dots on all segments; cilia white, on apices of segments pale-fuscous. Hindwings as forewings but ante-median bars nearer to base, and with a faintly-marked series of median bars.
Near O. xanthodes though very different in coloration.
Type in Coll., Turner.
N.A. Port Darwin, in April; one specimen received from Mr. F. P. Dodd.
Alucita phricodes Meyrick 1886
Meyrick, E. (1886) On the classification of the Pterophoridae. Transactions of the Entomological Society of London 1886: 20–21:
Alucita phricodes, n.s.
♂, ♀, 14—17 mm. Head, thorax, and abdomen dark fuscous, sprinkled with whitish, and tuft whitish ; abdomen with a narrow white ring at one-third from base. Palpi dark fuscous, internally whitish, 2nd joint obscurely banded with whitish at three-fourths and apex, terminal joint banded with whitish at one-fourth and three-fourths; 2nd joint long, porrected, beneath with dense projecting scales on apical half, forming a very short broad truncate tuft, terminal joint about three-fourths of 2nd, anteriorly roughened with scales, somewhat thickened in middle, pointed. Antennae dark fuscous. Legs whitish, suffused with dark fuscous
above, except on posterior tibiae, of which the basal half is clothed with short rough whitish hairs above. Wings formed as in A. hexadactyla. Fore wings with segments blackish, 1st segment with six ochreous white-margined spots, last two largest, remaining five segments with small white and ochreous spots, and an ochreous subapical band; cilia pale greyish, with dark grey obscurely whitish-margined markings, forming three irregular transverse
fasciae ; first narrow, about one-fourth ; second moderate, angulated outwards above middle, and sinuate inwards below middle; third broader, obsolete near inner margin, towards costa obscurely dilated so as to appear connected with last three anteapical dark costal spots. Hind wings with segments blackish, with small white and ochreous spots; cilia pale greyish; markings obscurely whitish-margined; a rather narrow dark grey fascia before middle, extending from vein 1 to 4; on posterior half of wing three indistinct grey regularly dentate narrow fasciae, second becoming double on first two segments, and much darker towards inner margin and on posterior costal branch.Duaringa, Queensland; Sydney, New South Wales ; locally common, especially at rest on fences, in August, September, November, and January.
Alucita pygmaea Meyrick 1890
Meyrick, E. (1890) Descriptions of additional Australian Pyralidina. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 4: 1112–1113:
Aluc. pygmaea, n.sp.
♂, ♀, 8—9 mm. Head and thorax white, speckled with dark fuscous. Palpi white. Antennae whitish. Abdomen ochreous-white, sides speckled or suffused with dark fuscous, second segment white with a dark fuscous blotch on each side. Legs white, anterior tibiae dark fuscous. Forewings and hindwings white, clearly and finely striated transversely throughout with ochreous-brown ; six irregular clear snow-white transverse bars, finely margined on both sides with black : cilia wholly whitish.Duaringa and Brisbane, Queensland, in February ; five specimens received from Mr. G. Barnard and Dr. T. P. Lucas. Mr. Barnard states that they sometimes swarm by thousands in the scrubs. It is a curious and interesting little insect, much the smallest species of the genus.
Alucita xanthodes Meyrick, 1890
Meyrick, E. (1890) Descriptions of additional Australian Pyralidina. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 4: 1112:
Aluc. xanthodes, n.sp.
♂, 15 mm. Head white, crown light ochreous-yellow. Palpi white. Antennae ochreous-whitish. Thorax yellow-ochreous, spotted with white. Legs white, anterior pair banded with dark fuscous. Forewings and hindwings bright yellow-ochreous, crossed by six irregular white lines ; fifth and part of third lines finely margined anteriorly with black, fourth and sixth (subterminal) finely margined posteriorly with black : cilia alternately ochreous and white.
Duaringa, Queensland, in February ; one specimen received from Mr. G. Barnard. A very pretty and distinct species.
Alucita xanthosticta (Turner, 1923)
Turner, A.J. (1923) Art. VI. New Australian Micro-Lepidoptera. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria n.s. 36(1): 58:
ORNEODES XANTHOSTICTA, n.sp.
♂ 13 mm. Head yellow; face white. Palpi whitish; a slight fuscous suffusion on outer surface of second joint. Antennae white. Thorax and abdomen yellow. Legs whitish ; anterior tibiae suffused with fuscous. Forewings and hindwings yellow; wing segments very obscurely barred with whitish; a series of fuscous dots on segments at ⅓, and another double series at ⅔ ; a series of subapical fuscous dots.Very similar to O. xanthodes, Meyr., but much smaller, with white face and antennae, no fuscous costal spots, but with subapical dots; xanthodes expands 20 mm.
Queensland: Rosewood in April; one specimen taken at light.
