Asterivora combinatana

Asterivora combinatana
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Choreutidae
Genus:	Asterivora
Species:	A. combinatana
Binomial name
	Asterivora combinatana; (Walker, 1863)
Synonyms
	Simaethis combinatanaWalker, 1863 ; Simaethis abstitellaWalker, 1864 ; Asterivora abstitella(Walker, 1864) ; Simaethis zomeutaMeyrick, 1912 ; Asterivora zomeuta(Meyrick, 1912) ;

Last updated December 05, 2023

Asterivora combinatana is a species of moth in the family Choreutidae.^[1] It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed at locations in both the North and South Islands. The larvae feed on Senecio bellidioides and Brachyglottis repanda either from within a silken gallery or alternatively a silken curtain under which they feed. It is double brooded with adults being on the wing from September until November and again from February until April. This species is a day flying moth. It is extremely variable both in colouration and in size. The female tends to be larger and paler than the male of the species.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Francis Walker in 1863 and named Simaethis combinatana.^[3] In 1883 Edward Meyrick synonymised Simaethis abstitella with Simaethis combinatana.^[4]^[2] In 1927 Alfred Philpott studied the male genitalia of this species.^[5] In 1928 George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand under the name Simaethis combinatana.^[6] In that publication Hudson synonymised S. zomeuta with S. combinatana.^[6] In 1979 J. S. Dugdale placed S. combinatana within the genus Asterivora.^[7] In 1988 Dugdale confirmed this placement.^[2] In the 1979 publication Dugdale treated S. zomeuta as a separate species and placed it within the genus Asterivora.^[7] However, in his 1988 publication Dugdale synonymised A. zomeuta with A. combinatana.^[2] The female lectotype specimen of A. combinatana, collected in Auckland, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.^[2]

Description

Walker described this species as follows:

Cupreous-ferruginous. Body cinereous beneath. Palpi porrect, squamous, a little longer than the breadth of the head ; third joint almost linear, nearly half the length of the second. Antennae with white rings. Fore wings with four whitish transverse diffuse irregular undulating lines ; two of these are near the base, and two near the exterior border, and each pair is accompanied by numerous minute whitish speckles ; fringe with two whitish streaks. Length of the body lines ; of the wings 7 lines.^[3]

This species is extremely variable both in colouration and in size.^[6] The female tends to be larger and paler than the male of the species.^[6] It is very similar in appearance to its sister species Asterivora colpota and is easily confused with the same.^[8] Hudson described the larva of this species as follows:

It is somewhat stout, slightly tapering at each end. The head and first segment are pale brown and horny; the rest of the body being pale greenish-ochreous. Each segment is provided with eight black warts arranged in two rows consisting of two and six respectively. Each of these warts gives rise to a small black bristle. The length of the larva when full-grown is about 1 inch.^[6]

Distribution

It is endemic to New Zealand.^[1] This species has been observed in both the North and South Islands including at Kaeo, Waimarino, Ohakune, Wellington, Mount Arthur and the Ōtira River.^[6]

Behaviour

This species is a day flying moth.^[7] It is double brooded with adults being on the wing from September until November and again from February until April.^[6] Whilst at rest this species places its wings backwards and slightly lifted, with the antennae extended and the hindwings often almost hidden.^[6] Hudson described their flying manner as "fussy".^[6]

Life history

The larvae feed on Senecio bellidioides and Brachyglottis repanda.^[6] When feeding off S. bellidioides they live in a silken gallery, is formed amongst the young shoots of the plant.^[6] When feeding on B. repanda they build a silken curtain under which they shelter and feed.^[6] Pupation takes place in white silken cocoons amongst the dead shoots of their host plant.^[6]

Related Research Articles

Stigmella cypracma is a species of moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North and South Islands. The larvae of this species are leaf miners and pupate within their mines. The larval host species is Brachyglottis repanda. Adult moths are on the wing in February and September to November. This species has two generations per year.

Asterivora is a genus of moths in the family Choreutidae. Asterivora was described by J. S. Dugdale in 1979. The type species is Asterivora combinatana.

Asterivora analoga is a moth of the family Choreutidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in both the North and South Islands. Adults are on the wing in December and January.

Asterivora albifasciata is a species of moth in the family Choreutidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed on both the North and South Islands. The adults of this species are on the wing in December and January. Larvae of this species have been raised on Celmisia brevifolia.

Asterivora antigrapha is a moth in the family Choreutidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North and South Island. This species inhabits the edge of scrubland. The adults are on the wing in November and December. This species can be found flying the day. It has been hypothesised that this species hibernates over winter.

Asterivora barbigera is a moth in the family Choreutidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the southern half of the South Island. It inhabits open mountain sides and adults are on the wing in November to January.

Asterivora colpota is a moth in the family Choreutidae. It was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1911. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found throughout the North and South Islands. It is regarded as a lowland species and adults are on the wing from November until March. This moth has been collected by beating shrubs.

Asterivora exocha is a species of moth in the family Choreutidae. It was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1907 and is endemic to New Zealand. This species has only been observed in the Humboldt Ranges of Otago and inhabits subalpine native bush at elevations of around 3600 ft. Adults of this species are on the wing in December and January and have been observed flying at dusk.

Asterivora fasciata is a species of moth in the family Choreutidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been found at Arthur's Pass. The larvae of this species have been reared on Celmisia densiflora and adults are on the wing in January.

Asterivora inspoliata is a species of moth in the family Choreutidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been found in the southern parts of the South Island. Adults are on the wing in December and January.

Asterivora iochondra is a species of moth in the family Choreutidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1911. This species has been observed in both the North and South Island at Mount Holdsworth and Mount Arthur. This species inhabits open spaces on mountains on the forest edge at 3000 ft altitude. Adults of this species are on the wing in February and flies rapidly in sunshine.

Asterivora marmarea is a species of moth in the family Choreutidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and lives in mountainous habitats. It has been observed in the lower parts of the North Island and the upper South Island. The larval host of this species is Celmisia gracilenta and adults of this species are on the wing in December and January.

Asterivora ministra is a species of moth in the family Choreutidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed at Mount Holdsworth and Mount Arthur. This species inhabits alpine native herbage above the tree line. The adults are on the wing in February.

Asterivora urbana is a species of moth in the family Choreutidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in Arthur's Pass. Adults are on the wing in January.

Asterivora nivescens is a species of moth in the family Choreutidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in Nelson. This species inhabits native herbage on mountain sides. Adults of this species are on the wing in January.

Asterivora tillyardi is a species of moth in the family Choreutidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and collected at Aoraki / Mount Cook. Adults of this species are on the wing in March.

Asterivora symbolaea is a species of moth in the family Choreutidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in Arthur's Pass. This species lives in subalpine habitat. Adults of this is on the wing in January and February. Larvae are hosted by Celmisia prorepens.

Reductoderces microphanes is a moth of the family Psychidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. R. microphanes is a bagworm moth and its larvae likely feed on lichen or algae. Historically there has been some confusion over the identification of this species with George Hudson mistakenly describing and illustrating unnamed species and then attributing those descriptions and illustrations to this species. Charles Edwin Clarke discussed this species stating that it and its close relatives were active and able to be collected in damp mists before sunrise.

Tingena crotala is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found both in the North and South Islands. This species inhabits native forest and is on the wing in November and December.

Scythris epistrota is a species of moth in the family Scythrididae first described by Edward Meyrick in 1889. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the South Island. The larvae have been found on species of New Zealand broom and they pupate within an irregularly shaped, dense, silken cocoon. Adults are day flying and are on the wing from November until February.

References

1 2 3 Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia : chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 457. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
1 2 3 4 5 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: 113. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
1 2 Francis Walker (1863), List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum, Part XXVIII. - Tortricites and Tineites, London, p. 456, Wikidata Q109352878 {{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
↑ Edward Meyrick (1882). "Descriptions of Australian Micro-lepidoptera. VII. Revisional". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales (in English and English). 7: 184. doi:10.5962/BHL.PART.22744. ISSN 0370-047X. Wikidata Q56012061.
↑ Alfred Philpott (15 November 1927). "The Male Genitalia of the New Zealand Glyphipterygidae". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 58: 337–347. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q110772020.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 307, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286
1 2 3 J. S. Dugdale (July 1979). "A new generic name for the New Zealand species previously assigned to Simaethis auctorum (Lepidoptera: Choreutidae), with description of a new species". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 6 (3): 461–466. doi:10.1080/03014223.1979.10428386. ISSN 0301-4223. Wikidata Q54576372.
↑ E. Meyrick (1 July 1911). "Notes and Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 43: 67. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q58200989.

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[NZIB-1] 1 2 3 Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia : chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 457. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.

[Dugdale1988-2] 1 2 3 4 5 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: 113. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.

[Walker1863-3] 1 2 Francis Walker (1863), List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum, Part XXVIII. - Tortricites and Tineites, London, p. 456, Wikidata Q109352878 {{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[Meyrick1883-4] Edward Meyrick (1882). "Descriptions of Australian Micro-lepidoptera. VII. Revisional". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales (in English and English). 7: 184. doi:10.5962/BHL.PART.22744. ISSN 0370-047X. Wikidata Q56012061.

[Philpott1927-5] Alfred Philpott (15 November 1927). "The Male Genitalia of the New Zealand Glyphipterygidae". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 58: 337–347. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q110772020.

[Hudson1928-6] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 307, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286

[:1-7] 1 2 3 J. S. Dugdale (July 1979). "A new generic name for the New Zealand species previously assigned to Simaethis auctorum (Lepidoptera: Choreutidae), with description of a new species". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 6 (3): 461–466. doi:10.1080/03014223.1979.10428386. ISSN 0301-4223. Wikidata Q54576372.

[Meyrick1911-8] E. Meyrick (1 July 1911). "Notes and Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 43: 67. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q58200989.

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