Asaphodes dionysias

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Asaphodes dionysias
Asaphodes dionysias 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. dionysias
Binomial name
Asaphodes dionysias
(Meyrick, 1907) [1]
Synonyms [2]
  • Xanthorhoe dionysiasMeyrick, 1907
  • Larentia dionysias(Meyrick, 1907)

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.

Contents

Taxonomy

Old Man Range, type locality of A. dionysias. Two Thumbs Range, from the climb of Mt Winterslow, Winterslow Range, Canterbury, New Zealand 10.jpg
Old Man Range, type locality of A. dionysias.

This species was described by Edward Meyrick in 1907 as Xanthorhoe dionysias using material collected by J.H. Lewis at the Old Man Range / Kopuwai in Central Otago in February. [2] [3] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under the name Xanthorhoe dionysias in his 1928 publication The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. [4] In 1939 Louis Beethoven Prout placed this species in the genus Larentia. [5] This placement was not accepted by New Zealand taxonomists. [6] In 1971 J. S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Asaphodes. [7] In 1988 J. S. Dugdale confirmed this placement. [2] The female holotype specimen, collected at Old Man Range, is held at the Natural History Museum, London. [2]

Description

Illustration of male A. ionysias by George Hudson. Fig 9 MA I437613 TePapa Plate-XIV-The-butterflies full (cropped).jpg
Illustration of male A. ionysias by George Hudson.

Meyrick described the species as follows:

♂︎. 28 mm. Head, palpi, and thorax pale-ochreous tinged with brown-reddish. Forewings somewhat elongate-triangular, costa gently arched, subsinuate in middle, termen rather bowed, oblique, not waved; pale greyish-ochreous, towards costa suffusedly tinged with reddish- ochreous; basal area indistinctly striated with dark fuscous irroration; median band defined anteriorly by two curved similar striae, posteriorly by three curved dark striae enclosing two lines, first pale, second slightly tinged with reddish- ochreous; within median band are two suffused strife connected by a transverse dark-fuscous discal dot, first obsolete in middle; terminal area irrorated with dark-fuscous; an interrupted dark-fuscous terminal line : cilia pale-greyish-ochreous, barred with dark-fuscous irroration. Hindwings elongate, termen rounded, faintly waved; pale greyish-ochreous, thinly irrorated with grey; a blackish discal dot; a cloudy grey postmedian line; cilia pale greyish-ochreous mixed with grey. [3]

The female of the species is brachypterous. [8]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. [1] [9] This moth is known only from a limited area which includes The Remarkables, Ben Lomond, Dunstan Mountains, and Old Man Range in Central Otago. [10]

Biology and life cycle

The adults of this species are on the wing in January and February. [4] [10]

Habitat and host species

This moth prefers open grassy mountainous habitat at altitudes of up to 1750m. [4] [10] It is known to frequent wetland habitat. [10] [11] Larvae of this species feed on herbs found in the wet tussock grassland. [8]

Related Research Articles

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

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

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

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<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

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

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

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

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

Asaphodes prasinias is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been found on both the North and South Islands. This species inhabits native forest including beech forest and subalpine scrub. The range of this species has reduced as this species is regarded as being locally extinct in the previously inhabited open non-forest habitats around Invercargill. Adults are on the wing from November to January.

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

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

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<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.

<i>Austrocidaria cedrinodes</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Austrocidaria cedrinodes is a species of moth of the family Geometridae. It was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1911. This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North, South and Stewart Islands. Although widespread across the country A. cedrinodes is regarded as being a scarce species. It inhabits open native scrubland populated with species of Leptospermum, Dracophyllum as well as species in the genus Coprosma. This latter genus contains the larval host plants of A. cedrinodes. Adults are on the wing commonly from September until February and are nocturnal and attracted to light.

<i>Helastia cymozeucta</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Helastia cymozeucta is a moth of the family Geometridae. It was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1913. This species is endemic to New Zealand and is found in both the North and the upper parts of the South Island. The adults of this species have been observed on the wing from November to January as well as in March.

<i>Homodotis amblyterma</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Homodotis amblyterma is a moth of the family Geometridae. This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1931. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in Northland. Adults are on the wing in December.

References

  1. 1 2 "Asaphodes dionysias (Meyrick, 1907)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 173. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  3. 1 2 Meyrick, Edward (1907). "Notes and descriptions of Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 39: 106–121 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  4. 1 2 3 Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 120. OCLC   25449322.
  5. ↑ Prout, L. B. (1939). "Geometridae: Fauna Indo-Australica". The Macrolepidoptera of the World. 12: 264 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  6. ↑ R. C. Craw (April 1987). "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. ISSN   0301-4223. Wikidata   Q54670161.
  7. ↑ Dugdale, J. S. (10 November 1971). "Entomology of the Aucklands and other islands south of New Zealand: Lepidoptera, excluding non-crambine Pyralidae". Pacific Insects Monographs . 27: 55–172. ISSN   0078-7515. Wikidata   Q64006453.
  8. 1 2 Barratt, B. I. P.; Patrick, B. H. (1987). "Insects of snow tussock grassland on the East Otago Plateau". New Zealand Entomologist. 10 (1): 69–98. doi:10.1080/00779962.1987.9722513. ISSN   0077-9962.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. 1 2 3 4 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.
  11. ↑ Patrick, Brian H. (2014). "Ecology and conservation of the rare moth Asaphodes frivola Meyrick". The Weta. 47: 17–38.
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