A Revision of the Australian Moth Genus Paralaea Guest (Lepidoptera : Geometridae : Ennominae)

Abstract

The genus Paralaea Guest is reviewed and includes fourpreviously described species, P. porphyrinaria (Gueée, 1857), P. beggaria (Guenée,1857), P. ochrosoma (R. Felder & Rogenhofer,1875) and P. polysticha (Goldfinch, 1944), and nine newspecies: P. atralba, sp. nov., P. chionopasta, sp. nov., P. jarrah, sp. nov., P. karri , sp. nov., P. maranoa, sp. nov., P. sarcodes, sp. nov., P. taggorum, sp. nov., P. tasmanica, sp. nov. and P. toowoomba, sp. nov. The genus has a Bassiandistribution with some extension into the woodlands of the semi-arid zone. Most species occur in south-eastern Australia with six species in Tasmania. Known larvae feed on Eucalyptus, especially trees of the subgenus Monocalyptus, and one species is an occasionalforest pest.