Asaphodes declarata

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Asaphodes declarata
Asaphodes declarata female.jpg
Female
Asaphodes declarata male.jpg
Male
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Asaphodes
Species:
A. declarata
Binomial name
Asaphodes declarata
(Prout, 1914) [1]
Synonyms [2]
  • Xanthorhoe declarataProut, 1914

Asaphodes declarata is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the southern parts of the South Island. This species prefers open tussock grassland habitat amounts beech forest and in mountainous terrain. It can be found at altitudes of between 450 and 1750 m. The adults of this species are on the wing from November to March. The moths can vary both in size and, with the female of the species, in markings.

Contents

Taxonomy

Ben Lomond, type locality of A. declarata. Ben-Lomond-mountain.jpg
Ben Lomond, type locality of A. declarata.

This species was described by Louis Beethoven Prout in 1914 as Xanthorhoe declarata using material collected by George Howes at Ben Lomond in Otago in February. [2] [3] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under the name Xanthorhoe declarata in his 1928 publication The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. [4] However Hudson made an error, giving the incorrect name of the discoverer of the species, as well as the incorrect type locality. [2]

In 1987 Robin C. Craw proposed assigning this species to the genus Asaphodes. [5] In 1988 John S. Dugdale agreed with this proposal. [2] The holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London. [2]

Description

Illustration of A. declarata by George Hudson. Fig 25 MA I437613 TePapa Plate-XIV-The-butterflies full (cropped).jpg
Illustration of A. declarata by George Hudson.

Prout described the species as follows:

♂︎. 36-38 mm. Very closely related to X. clarata Walk., but apparently quite distinct. Differs in the greyer brown (not ochreous) markings of the forewing and the white (not yellow or ochreous) hindwing. Forewing with the second subbasal white fascia less strongly curved ; discal dot enlarged, touching the first post-discal fuscous line ; outer boundary of median area less deeply inbent on fold ; white subterminal line less deeply dentate. The first fuscous post-discal line, though too variable in both species to give a constant distinction, is, as a rule, sharply out-angled between veins 6 and 7 in clarata, but in declarata only very obtusely bent or very gently curved. The hindwing beneath differs still more markedly : in clarata its basal half, though partly dark-marked, is encroached upon by a deep and large pale prong running inwards at vein 5 as far as the discocellulars (in some, measure even to the base) and another on the fold ; in declarata the basal half is much more uniformly dark-marked, its distal edge only forming two very moderate inward bends. Abdomen also whitish, dorsally with pairs of rather dark spots. [3]

Hudson noted that this species could easily be confused with a faded specimen of Asaphodes clarata. He also pointed out that A. declarata varies considerably in both size and, with the female of the species, in markings. [4]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. [1] [6] This species has been found in Otago and Southland. [4]

Biology and life cycle

Hudson stated that A. declarata can be found on the wing from November until February. [4] Adults have also been recorded in March. [7]

Habitat

A. declarata prefers open tussock habitat amongst beech forest in mountainous terrain. [4] It can be found at elevations of between 450 and 1750m in altitude. [4] [7]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Asaphodes aphelias</i> Species of moth

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<i>Asaphodes imperfecta</i> Species of moth

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<i>Asaphodes chlorocapna</i> Species of moth

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<i>Xanthorhoe lophogramma</i> Species of moth

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<i>Asaphodes cinnabari</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

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<i>Asaphodes clarata</i> Species of moth

Asaphodes clarata is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been found on the North and South Islands. The species inhabits open grassy areas, including tussock grasslands, in montane habitat. The larvae feed on the leaves of Ranunculus species. The adult moths are day flying and are on the wing from December to February and have been shown to pollinate Celmisia laricifolia and Hebe pinguifolia.

<i>Asaphodes cosmodora</i> Species of moth

Asaphodes cosmodora is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the South Island. The adults of this species are on the wing in January and February.

<i>Asaphodes dionysias</i> Species of moth

Asaphodes dionysias is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and is only known from mountainous areas in Central Otago. It lives in open grassy mountainous habitat at altitudes up to 1750 m. It is also known to live in wetland habitat. The larvae of this species feed on native herbs. The adults of this species are on the wing in January and February. The adult female of the species has reduced wing size in comparison to the male.

<i>Asaphodes exoriens</i> Species of moth

Asaphodes exoriens is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been found in Central Otago. This is an alpine species and frequents open grassy habitat. They can also be found in upland wetland habitat at altitudes between 800 and 1100 m. Adults are on the wing in March.

<i>Asaphodes ida</i> Species of moth

Asaphodes ida is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This moth can be found in upland or alpine habitat in Canterbury and Otago. Although not classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification system this species is regarded as rare.

<i>Asaphodes limonodes</i> Species of moth

Asaphodes limonodes is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in both the North and South Islands. This species inhabits damp native forest. Adults are on the wing from November until March.

<i>Asaphodes nephelias</i> Species of moth

Asaphodes nephelias is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the South Island. The preferred habitat of this species is alpine tussock grasslands above native forest and in wetlands. The adults of this species are on the wing from January to March and are day flying. The female has brachypterous wings.

<i>Asaphodes oraria</i> Species of moth

Asaphodes oraria is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the southern South Island and on Stewart Island / Rakiura. The male is pale yellow coloured and the female has severely reduced wings and is flightless. The habitat of this species is tussock grasslands on coastal sand dunes and in the mountains at elevations of approximately 4,000ft. The larvae have adapted to feeding on exotic lawn daisy species in the genus Bellis. The adults of this species are on the wing from November to April.

<i>Asaphodes periphaea</i> Species of moth

Asaphodes periphaea is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has only been collected in the mountains near Lake Wakatipu in the South Island. The male is fuscous coloured sprinkled with whitish colouration. The female is brachypterous. The preferred habitat of this species are alpine bluffs as well as mountainous open country. This species is on the wing from January to March.

<i>Asaphodes prymnaea</i> Species of moth

Asaphodes prymnaea is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found on the Mount Arthur tableland. It is common in limestone valleys. The female of the species is paler and has less distinctive markings than the male. Adults are on the wing in January and February.

<i>Asaphodes recta</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Asaphodes recta is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the southern parts of the South Island. The preferred habitat of this species is open tussock grassland. The adults are on the wing in February and March. Larvae of this species have been reared on species in the genera Ranunculus and Bellis.

<i>Asaphodes sericodes</i> Species of moth

Asaphodes sericodes is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the southern parts of the South Island. This species inhabits open tussock grasslands in subalpine scrub or wetlands. The female of the species is likely semi-apterous and is flightless. The adult males are on the wing in January.

References

  1. 1 2 "Asaphodes declarata (Prout, 1914)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 173. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  3. 1 2 Prout, Louis B. (1914). "New Lepidoptera (Geometridae)". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 46: 122–123 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 119. OCLC   25449322.
  5. ↑ Craw, R. C. (2 February 2012). "Revision of the genus Helastia sensu stricto with description of a new genus (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Larentiinae)". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 14 (2): 269–293. doi:10.1080/03014223.1987.10422997.
  6. ↑ Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia : chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 459. ISBN   978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC   973607714. OL   25288394M. Wikidata   Q45922947.
  7. 1 2 Patrick, Brian H.; Lyford, Brian M.; Ward, John B.; Barratt, Barbara I.P. (1992). "Lepidoptera and other insects of the Rastus Burn Basin, The Remarkables, Otago". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 22 (4): 265–278. doi:10.1080/03036758.1992.10420820. ISSN   0303-6758.
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