Anisoplaca achyrota

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Anisoplaca achyrota
Anisoplaca achyrota 186698876.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Gelechiidae
Genus: Anisoplaca
Species:
A. achyrota
Binomial name
Anisoplaca achyrota
(Meyrick, 1885) [1]
Synonyms [2]
  • Gelechia achyrotaMeyrick, 1885

Anisoplaca achyrota is a species of moth in the family Gelechiidae. [3] It was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1885 and is endemic to New Zealand. This species has been observed in both the North and South Islands and inhabits native forest. The larvae of this species feed on the green seeds of Hoheria angustifolia and as such is regarded as an indicator species for mature native forest. The adults of the species are commonly on the wing from December until February and are attracted to light.

Contents

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in November 1885 and named Gelechia achyota. [4] [2] In 1886 Meyrick described this species in greater detail. [5] In 1915 Meyrick placed this species within the genus Anisoplaca. [6] In 1928 George Hudson described this species under that name however his illustration of that species is, according to John S. Dugdale, of an undescribed species. [7] [2] Dugdale confirmed the placement of this species in the genus Anisoplaca in 1988. [2] The male lectotype specimen, collected at Riccarton Bush, is held at the Natural History Museum, London. [2]

Description

Anisoplaca achyrota male lectotype Anisoplaca achyrota lectotype.jpg
Anisoplaca achyrota male lectotype

The wingspan is 17–18 mm. The forewings are light brownish-ochreous, irregularly mixed with whitish and blackish scales. The anterior half of the costa is suffused with whitish, and dotted with blackish. The inner margin between one-fourth and two-thirds is suffused with blackish and there is a small black spot on the base of the costa, as well as four small black discal spots, surrounded with whitish rings, the first in the disc before the middle, the second on the fold rather before the first, their rings confluent, the third and fourth dot-like, transversely placed and close together in disc at three-fifths. There is a cloudy whitish fascia from four-fifths of the costa to the anal angle, dentate outwards in the middle and a cloudy black hindmarginal line. The hindwings are grey, towards the base paler. [5]

Hudson described this species as rather dull looking. [7] Dugdale pointed out that both Hudson and Philpott confused this species with another undescribed species in their published literature. [2] This species is also very similar in appearance to A. cosmia. [8] However these two species can be distinguished as the labial palpus in A. cosmia are coloured fuscous-black to the top of the underside of the second segment where as in A. archyrota the labial palpus is only coloured fuscous-black for the bottom two thirds. [8]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. [1] It can be found in both the North and South Islands including in the Hawkes Bay, West Coast and South Canterbury. [9] [10] [11]

Behaviour

Adults of this species is commonly on the wing from December until February. [7] It is attracted to light and has been collected via light trapping. [9]

Habitat and hosts

Green seed pods of Hoheria angustifolia. Hoheria angustifolia 22103816.jpg
Green seed pods of Hoheria angustifolia.

It inhabits native forests and the larvae of this species feed on the green seeds of Hoheria angustifolia. [12] [11] This species is regarded to be an indicator species of mature native forest as its larvae feed on the seeds of native trees found in at mature sites. [10] Hudson hypothesised that this species was also attached to Hoheria populnea as specimens of this moth had been collected in the vicinity of those trees. [13]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Anisoplaca achyrota (Meyrick, 1885)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 John Stewart Dugdale (23 September 1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. 14: 80. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN   0111-5383. Wikidata   Q45083134.
  3. ↑ Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia : chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 458. ISBN   978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC   973607714. OL   25288394M. Wikidata   Q45922947.
  4. ↑ Edward Meyrick (November 1885). "Descriptions of New Zealand Microlepidoptera. Gelechiadae. VIII. Tineina (part)". New Zealand Journal of Science. 2 (12): 590. Wikidata   Q108097450.
  5. 1 2 Edward Meyrick (May 1886). "Descriptions of New Zealand Micro-Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 18: 170. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q109405465.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  6. ↑ E. Meyrick (12 July 1915). "Revision of New Zealand Tineina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 47: 208. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q63123349.
  7. 1 2 3 George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington, pp. 258–259, OCLC   25449322, Wikidata   Q58593286
  8. 1 2 John David Bradley (1956). "Microlepidoptera from Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island". Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology. 4: 156–158. ISSN   0524-6431. Wikidata   Q112035731.
  9. 1 2 T. H. Davies (January 1973). "LIST OF LEPIDOPTERA COLLECTED IN AREAS SURROUNDING HASTINGS AND NAPIER" (PDF). New Zealand Entomologist. 5 (2): 204–216. doi:10.1080/00779962.1973.9723002. ISSN   0077-9962. Wikidata   Q54755566. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 February 2013.
  10. 1 2 C.M.S. Smith; M.H. Bowie; J.L. Hahner; et al. (January 2016). "Punakaiki Coastal Restoration Project: A case study for a consultative and multidisciplinary approach in selecting indicators of restoration success for a sand mining closure site, West Coast, New Zealand". CATENA. 136: 96. doi:10.1016/J.CATENA.2015.07.024. ISSN   0341-8162. Wikidata   Q56995752.
  11. 1 2 Jon J. Sullivan; Colin J. Burrows; John S. Dugdale (September 1995). "Insect predation of seeds of native New Zealand woody plants in some central South Island localities". New Zealand Journal of Botany. 33 (3): 357. doi:10.1080/0028825X.1995.10412962. ISSN   0028-825X. Wikidata   Q54576385.
  12. ↑ "Hoheria angustifolia Raoul". plant-synz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  13. ↑ George Vernon Hudson (1950), Fragments of New Zealand entomology. - a popular account of all New Zealand cicadas. The natural history of the New Zealand glow-worm. A second supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand and notes on many other native insects., Wellington, p. 106, Wikidata   Q107693053
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