Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Xyloryctidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Cryptophasa | |
Cryptophasa melanoscia is a moth in the Xyloryctidae family. It was described by Lower in 1903. It is found in Australia, where it has been recorded from Victoria.
The wingspan is 40-50 mm. The forewings are ashy-grey-whitish, finely irrorated throughout with short black scales. The markings are black. There is a short streak from the costa near the base to the lower margin of the cell, angulated in the middle. There is a short thick mark in the cell at one-third and a second similar one at the end of the cell. The lower margin of the cell is outlined in black. From the first mark proceeds a fine line to two-thirds of the costa and the veins towards the termen are more or less outlined with black, becoming very pronounced in the middle of veins 5 and 6. There are five or six dull whitish spots, between the middle of the costa, and the apex, separated by dull fuscous marks. The hindwings are greyish-fuscous, becoming lighter on the basal half.
The larvae feed on Casuarina species. They bore in the stem of their host plant.