Gonionota dryodesma Meyrick 1916

Gonionota dryodesma (Meyrick)

Hypercallia dryodesma Meyrick, 1916: (1)552.

Gonionota dryodesma (Meyrick), Clarke 1963: (4)230, pl. 112: figs. 4, 4a.

Hypercallia dryocrypta Meyrick, 1931: (4)121. (New synonymy).

In Meyrick’s description of the forewing of dryodesma he states “8 and 9 out of 7”; but in the case of dryocrypta he wrote “9 out of 7.” The types of both have identical venation with 9 out of the stalk of 7 and 8. A male from Venezuela matches the type male of dryodesma and a female, collected in Venezuela at the same time as the male, matches the type of dryocrypta.

In addition to the types, I have before me a and , Venezuela, Aragua, Rancho Grande, 1100 m (21–25. Jan. ’66, S. S. and W. D. Duckworth); , Costa Rica, Turrialba (VII. 15–19.65, P. J. Spangler).

TYPES.—British Museum (Natural History) (dryodesma); U. S. National Museum (dryocrypta).

TYPE LOCALITIES.—French Guiana, St. Jean, Rio Maroni (dryodesma); Guatemala, Cayuga (dryocrypta).

DISTRIBUTION.—French Guiana, Venezuela, Guatemala, Costa Rica.

Gonionota dryodesma is a moth in the family Depressariidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1916. It is found in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Venezuela and French Guiana.

The wingspan is about 15 mm. The forewings are yellow, reticulated throughout with ferruginous red. There is a purple-fuscous streak along the costa throughout, darkest on the costal edge, interrupted by oblique strigulae of ground colour at two-fifths and three-fourths. There is a broad purplish-brown median transverse fascia, considerably dilated on the dorsum. The discal stigmata are placed on the margins of this, they are blackish, the first minute and the second rather large. There is also a curved series of cloudy dark fuscous dots rising from this fascia near the costa and returning to it near the dorsum and there is a purple-brown streak along the termen. The hindwings are whitish yellowish.