Cryptophasa tetrazona (Lower, 1901)
 (previously known as Xylorycta tetrazona)
XYLORYCTIDAE,   GELECHIOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Cryptophasa tetrazona
northern form
(Photo: courtesy of CSIRO/BIO Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

The adult moth of this species has dark brown forewings, each with four to eight yellowish-white patches: the number currently thought to be dependent on the local climate. The hindwings have a sinuous margin, and are pale yellow, darkening to brown at the wingtips. The head is yellow. The thorax is black and white or yellow. The moth has a wingspan of about 5 cms.

Cryptophasa tetrazona
southern form
(Photo: courtesy of CSIRO/BIO Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

The species has been found in :

  • Western Australia,
  • Queensland,
  • New South Wales, and
  • Victoria.

    This species is easily confused with, and may be even be a junior synonym of: Cryptophas insana.

    Further reading :

    Oswald B. Lower,
    Descriptons of new genera and species of Australian Lepidoptera,
    Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia,
    Volume 25 (1901), pp. 84-85.

    Ian McMillan,
    Blog: Tuesday, August 17, 2010,
    Cryptophasa tetrazona

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    (written 21 July 2023)