About Cryptophasa rubescens Lewin, 1805
Cryptophasa rubescens is a species of moth belonging to the family Xyloryctidae. It is distributed in Australia, with confirmed records from the regions of New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria. The wingspan of this moth is approximately 45 mm. Its forewings are ferruginous in color, speckled with elongated light brownish-ochreous scales. The costa is broadly suffused with pale ochreous from the base to beyond the middle, tapering to a point towards the posterior end. There is a short, indistinct dark fuscous dash on the submedian fold at the one-fourth position, and a second similar dash beyond the middle. A small, rounded, poorly defined dark fuscous spot is present in the disc at the five-eighths position, and a second, more elongated spot is located at the three-fourths position. The hindwings are ochreous-orange, and are somewhat paler in the posterior region. The larvae of this moth feed on species in the genus Acacia, including Acacia longifolia and Acacia linifolia. The larvae bore into the stems of their host plants, and tie cut phyllodes at the entrance to their bore.
