Synemon collecta Swinhoe Hope Dept. Oxford 1892

Synemon collecta Swinhoe, 1892 (Striated Sun Moth) (Figs 7 – 32, 45, 46, 81) Synemon collecta Swinhoe, 1892, Catalogue of the Eastern and Australian Lepidoptera Heterocera in the collection of the Oxford University Museum. Part 1. p. 151, pl. vii, fig. 16. Synemon collecta Swinhoe; Strand 1911a: 2 pl. 1, Strand 1911b: 146, Dalla Torre 1913: 21, Douglas 1993: 17, Venn 1993: 16, Dunn & Kitching 1994: A3 – 11, Edwards 1994: 37, Dunn 1996: 36, Edwards 1996: 138, Venn 1996: [1], Dunn 2000: 68. Synemon collecta obscuripennis Strand (infrasubspecific name); Strand 1911a: 2, Strand 1911b: 147, Dalla Torre 1913: 21, Edwards 1996: 138. Synemon collecta simpla Strand (infrasubspecific name); Strand 1911a: 2, Strand 1911b: 147, Dalla Torre 1913: 21, Edwards 1996: 138. Synemon collecta josepha Strand (infrasubspecific name); Strand 1911a: 2 (misidentification of S. phaeoptila Turner). Synemon collecta affinita Strand (infrasubspecific name); Strand 1911a: 2, Strand 1911b: 147, Dalla Torre 1913: 21 (misidentification of S. phaeoptila Turner). Swinhoe in the original description listed a single specimen from “Northern Australia ” which he called the “type” and two specimens from New South Wales. Swinhoe’s use of the term “type” for a single specimen (Fig. 11) is interpreted as the designation of a holotype. The precise origin of the holotype is unknown; however, Synemon collecta does not occur in northern Australia. Based on its similarity to specimens from Armidale, the type locality may be in northern New South Wales. Material examined Holotype: ♀, “ North Australia Damell [sic] 1863 / In BM unnamed / A [on reverse of deep blue card] / Synemon collecta Swinhoe type zf / 706 [catalogue number in Swinhoe (1892)] / Type Lep: no. 273 Synemon collecta Swinhoe 1/3 Hope Dept. Oxford” (Fig. 11, OUM). Paratypes: 1 ♀, “ Synemon theresa var / Coll. Saunders [on reverse of red card] / B [on reverse of deep blue card] / 706 / Type Lep: no. 273 Synemon collecta Swinhoe 2/3 Hope Dept. Oxford” (OUM); 1 ♀, “NSW [pin holed and almost illegible] / Coll. Saunders [on reverse of red card] / B [on reverse of deep blue card] / 706 / Type Lep: no. 273 Synemon collecta Swinhoe Hope Dept. Oxford ” (OUM). Additional material. Victoria: 31♂, 10♀, Shelly, 760m, 36°11’S 147°33’E, 27.xii.1987, 28.xii.1990, E.D. Edwards (slides 1959 ♂, 11820 ♂, 11879 ♀) (Figs 13 – 16, ANIC); 3♂, 2♀, Murray Valley Highway, 4km E of Shelley, 36°10.43’S 147°35.542’E, 1.i.2018, F. Douglas (CAK); 12♂, 2♀, same locality, 26.xii.2018, A. Kallies (CAK); 1M, Shelley, 31.xii.1999, G.E. Wurtz (CAK); 7 specimens, Shelly area, -36.180248 147.551171; -36.180272 147.551106, 2.i.2022 (iNaturalist 2025); 2 specimens, Shelly area, -36.177306 147.587638, 5.i.2021 (iNaturalist 2025); 1♂, Shelly area, Towong Shire, Burrowye, -36.070225 147.489627, 28.xii.2023 (iNaturalist 2025); 1 specimen, Lal Lal Falls, -37.65459 144.035746, 29.xii.2020 (iNaturalist 2025); 1♀, same location, 2.i.2021, A. Kallies (CAK); 3♂, 1♀, Hamilton, 15.xii.1904 (MVM); 1 specimen, Terrick Terrick NP, -36.08603, 144.26531,. xii.2024 (iNaturalist 2025); 1♂, 6♀, Terrick Terrick NP (eastern section), 13 km NNE of Mitiamo, E of Mitiamo-Kow Swamp Road, 36°06'09.56"S 144°17'30.36"E(1♂), 36°05'54.95"S 144°17'17.22"E, 36°05'54.78"S 144°17'18.35"E, 36°06'00.46"S 144°17'41.30"E, 36°06'09.90"S 144°17'36.78"E 36°06'08.76"S 144°17'23.91"E, 36°06'08.19"S 144°17'17.33"E (6♀), 12.xi.2012, F. Douglas (photographic records); 14♂, Terrick Terrick NP (western section), 12.5 km NNE by N of Mitiamo, W of Mitiamo-Kow Swamp Road, 36°05'50.47"S 144°16'20.17"E (1), 36°05'51.58"S 144°16'20.25"E (8), 36°05'52.00"S 144°16'20.40"E (1), 36°06'00.99"S 144°16'20.20"E (4), 12.xi.2012, F. Douglas (photographic records); 2♂, Stawell (MVM); 6♂, 3♀, Beremboke, 22.xii.1907, P. Frichot (MVM); 1♂, Murrundini, 6.ii.1918 (MVM); 1♂, “ Slaty Creek 16/9/1945 ” [NE of Ballarat?, date probably incorrect] (MVM); 2♂, Stanhope [WSW Shepparton], H.H. Griffith (MVM). Australia Capital Territory: 3♂, 3♀, 35°27’S 149°05’E, 0.5km E Point Hut Crossing, 600m, 16.xii.2008 (Figs 17 – 20, ANIC); 1 specimen, ACT [location obscured], xii.2023 (iNaturalist 2025). New South Wales: 1♀, 1♂, Glenn Ines, 28.xii.1910 (♀), 25.iii.1913 (♂) (ANIC); 1♀, Armidale, 14.i.1960, C.W. Frazier (ANIC); 1♂, 4♀, Armidale, 20.xii.1992 (♂, slide 11819), 22.i.1993, 5.ii.1993, 8.ii.1993, 20.iii.1993, M. & A. Coombs (ANIC); 4♂, Armidale, Lookout, 16.xii.1992, A.I. Knight (Fig. 12, ANIC); 1♂, Armidale, 5.iv.1948 (ANIC); 1♂, Armidale (MVM); 7 specimens, Armidale arboretum, 30°31'18"S 151°38'58"E, 30.i.1999, D. R. Britton (AM); 2 specimens, same location, 4.i.2001, D. R. Britton (AM); 1 specimen, Armidale, 30°30'30”S 151°40'16”E, 6.iii.1999, D. R. Britton (AM); 1♂, Belltrees (MVM); 1♀, Tenterfield, 3.ii.1918 (MVM); 1♀, Bolivia Hill [NNE of Glenn Ines], 13.iii.1994, R. Eastwood (ANIC); 1♂, Barrington Tops, on road to Tubrabucca, 12.i.1956, K.D. Fairly (ANIC); 2♂, 1♀, Tubrabucca, 18.i.1948, A.N. Burns & R. T.M.P. (MVM); 1♂, Stonehenge [S of Glenn Ines], 6.i.1971, M.S. Upton (ANIC); 2♂, 15km SW of Singleton [NW of Newcastle], 3.xi.2000, A. Atkins (ANIC); 1♀, Danthonia Bruderhof Community, near Elsmore, -29.780556 151.348603, 14.x.2023 (iNaturalist 2025), 1♂, same locality, -29.779868, 151.350046, 15.xi.2020 iNaturalist 2025); 1♂, same locality, -29.779764 151.350354, 10.xii.2023 (iNaturalist 2025); 3 specimens, same locality, -29.778619, 151.350217, 22.i.2024, 24.i.2024, 2.ii.2024 (iNaturalist 2025); 1 specimen, same locality, 25.x.2024, 1 specimen, Greater Blue Mts, Piribil St, Jerrys Plains, -32.501103 150.902806, 21.i.2024 (iNaturalist 2025); 1♂, Settlers Rd, Royalla, -35.50298 149.169846, 6.xii.2018 (iNaturalist 2025). Queensland: 1♂, Mudlo N.P., 10km N of Kilkivan, 23.x.2007, A. Atkins (ANIC); 9♂, 3♀, The Beacon, 14km, W of Imbil, 27.ix.1987, R. Eastwood (ANIC); 4♂, 1♀, Leslie Dam nr Warwick, 28.i.1991, L. Ring (ANIC, slide 11774); 1♂, Leslie Dam, 19.x.1993, K.L. Dunn (Figs 25 – 28, ANIC); 1♂, 7km SE of Warwick, 5.iii.1994, K.L. Dunn (ANIC); 4♂, 2♀, 28°11’S 151°10’E, 28k NNE of Inglewood, 20.x.1995, E.D. Edwards (Figs 21 – 24, ANIC, slide 11775); 3♂, 26km N of Canning Ck, Inglewood State Forest, grassland, 19.iii.1994, K.L. Dunn (slide 11773) (ANIC); 6♂, 3♀, Hazelwood Gorge, 15km SW Eungella, 18.ix.1993, M.F. Braby & K.L. Dunn (ANIC); 7♂, 3♀, 10km E of Mitchell, 26°30’S 148°04’E, E.D. Edwards & R.D. Edwards (ANIC); 3♂, 1♀, War Memorial, Stanthorpe, 20.xii.1985, A.I. Knight (ANIC); 10♀, Millmeran, 12.ii.1930, 14.ii.1930, 3.x.1928, 3.xi.1928, 18.iii.1928, 13.x.1928, 22.i.1928, 4.ii.1928, 16.x.1927, J. Macqueen (slide 1960) (ANIC); 1♀, Leyburn, 22.ii.1986, D.P. Sands (ANIC); 1♂, SE of Leyton, Mt Gammie, 21.iii.1994, K.L. Dunn (ANIC); 1♀, Carnarvon R., 8.xii.1941, N. Geanu (ANIC); 1♀, Beaudesert, 6.i.1921 (ANIC); 3♂, Esk, i.1906, G.A. Waterhouse (MVM) (ANIC); 3♂, 1♀, Millmeran, 25.ii.1928, 4.iii.1928, 24.x.1930 (MVM) (ANIC); 2♂, Westwood, 10.i.1924, 24.i.1925 (MVM) (ANIC); 1♂, Silver Spur, -28.733043 151.32485, 19.ii.2022 (iNaturalist 2025). Unclear or questionable locations: 1♂, Brisbane, J.A. Kershaw (ANIC); 2♀, Brisbane, 5.x.1909, 25.x.1909 (ANIC); 1♀, Midi, 9.ii.1940 (ANIC), 1♂, Brighton (MVM); 1♂, Cairns, 23.xi.1969, R. B. Lachlan (ANIC). Redescription Male (Figs 13, 14, 17, 18, 21, 22, 25, 26). Alar expanse 36 – 38.5 mm. Head: vertex grey, thick piliform grey scales obscuring black lamellar scales, frons with dense white piliform scales margined by grey piliform scales and dense white lamellar scales beside eyes, labial palpi short, appressed to head, not reaching frons, white, haustellum vestigial, antenna grey above broadly annulated with white, white beneath, club white with some grey scales dorsally, expanding fairly abruptly, nudum 5 orange brown on anterior third of club, apiculus minute of a single annulus. Thorax: above dark grey of mixed dark grey piliform and black lamellar scales, two subdorsal rows of pale, almost white scales, beneath white, legs pale yellow or straw above, white beneath, epiphysis clothed in minute spinules, inserted at about half length of foretibia, long, spine-like, not reaching end of foretibia. Abdomen: dark grey above with distal half brown, T2 – T4 with numerous long grey scales, beneath white. Forewing: dark grey with markings of off-white or ash grey, whole wing dusted with off-white scales, a broad off-white patch at end of cell, a broad band of markings from near apex to 1A+2A before tornus, markings made up of ellipses of dark grey between the veins and outlined both proximally and distally in off-white appearing as two series of lunate markings between the veins, costa dark grey with off-white streaks between veins towards apex, two basal streaks between veins below cell ash grey, a narrow dark grey terminal line. Cilia dark grey. Underside with costa pale yellow, basal third of wing brown irrorated with yellow, becoming more yellow distally and in cell, outer two thirds yellow, a trace of a paler spot at end of cell and paler terminal band from apex to CuA1, narrow terminal line dark brown proximally and pale yellow distally. Cilia dark brown. Hindwing: basal half of wing dark grey, small brownish yellow dot at end of cell, outer half of wing from tip of Rs to tornus yellow to brownish yellow, the inner margin of this brownish yellow band lunate, sometimes traces of brown spots between the veins from M1 to M3, two conspicuous brown spots between CuA2 and 1A+2A, narrow terminal dark grey line, anal area dark brown at base becoming brownish yellow towards tornus. Cilia dark grey. Underside with costa pale brown, basal half of wing dark brown with a small spot at end of cell brownish yellow, outer half of wing yellow to brownish yellow, with inner margin of yellow band lunate, band with embedded subterminal bark brown spots between veins from Rs to M3 and from CuA2 to 1A+2A, a narrow terminal line dark brown proximally and brownish yellow distally. Cilia dark brown