Asterivora nivescens

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Asterivora nivescens
Fig 24 MA I437913 TePapa Plate-LII-The-butterflies full (cropped).jpg
Illustration of female
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Choreutidae
Genus: Asterivora
Species:
A. nivescens
Binomial name
Asterivora nivescens
(Philpott, 1926) [1]
Synonyms [2]
  • Simaethis nivescensPhilpott, 1926

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.

Contents

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1926, using specimens collected at Gordon's Pyramid, Mount Arthur, and named Simaethis nivescens. [3] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 publication The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. [4] In 1979 J. S. Dugdale placed this species within the genus Asterivora. [5] In 1988 Dugdale confirmed this placement. [2] The male holotype specimen, collected at Mount Arthur, is held at the New Zealand Arthropod Collection. [2]

Description

Philpott described this species as follows:

♂ ♀. 16–17 mm. Head and palpi brown densely sprinkled with white; second segment of palpi with strong but longitudinally-narrow scale-tuft. Antennae blackish annulated with white, ciliations in male 1 1⁄2. Thorax bronzy-brown, tegulae spotted with white. Abdomen bronzy-brown, segmental divisions white. Legs brown, densely sprinkled with white. Forewings moderate, costa slightly arched, apex rounded, termen slightly rounded, little oblique; bronzy-brown; basal 2⁄5 sprinkled with white scales which tend to form one or two bands; a white spot on costa at 3⁄5 giving rise to a white line which follows an outwardly-oblique course to near middle of wing, thence bending sharply inwardly to above dorsum to which it recurves, in male this line is absorbed in subterminal band of white scales; preceding this line is a broad band almost free of white scales except those forming the discal spot; a broad subterminal band of white scales, touching second line at middle: fringes white, with broad blackish basal band and a similar but paler apical band. Hindwings tuscous. a white fascia round tornus, thence dividing into two and extending to middle of termen, in male this fascia is represented by only a few scales: fringes as in forewings. [3]

Description

This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in Nelson. [1] [3]

Habitat

This species inhabits native herbage on mountainsides. [2]

Behaviour

Adults of this species are on the wing in January. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Asterivora</i> Genus of moths

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.

<i>Asterivora analoga</i> Species of moth, endemic to New Zealand

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.

<i>Asterivora albifasciata</i> Species of moth

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.

<i>Asterivora antigrapha</i> Species of moth

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.

<i>Asterivora barbigera</i> Species of moth

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.

<i>Asterivora colpota</i> Species of moth

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.

<i>Asterivora combinatana</i> Species of moth

Asterivora combinatana is a species of moth in the family Choreutidae. 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.

<i>Asterivora exocha</i> Species of moth

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.

<i>Asterivora fasciata</i> Species of moth

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.

<i>Asterivora inspoliata</i> Species of moth

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.

<i>Asterivora iochondra</i> Species of moth, endemic to New Zealand

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.

<i>Asterivora marmarea</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

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.

<i>Asterivora ministra</i> Species of moth

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.

<i>Asterivora urbana</i> Species of moth

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.

<i>Asterivora tristis</i> Species of moth

Asterivora tristis is a species of moth in the family Choreutidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in Tongariro National Park. Adults of this species are on the wing in January.

<i>Asterivora tillyardi</i> Species of moth

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.

<i>Asterivora symbolaea</i> Species of moth

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.

<i>Trachypepla festiva</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Trachypepla festiva is a moth of the family Oecophoridae and was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1930. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been collected in the northern parts of the North Island.

<i>Meterana badia</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Meterana badia is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand.

<i>Dasyuris fulminea</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Dasyuris fulminea is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. It was first described by Alfred Philpott and is endemic to New Zealand. It has been observed in the regions of the West Coast, Fiordland and Otago. Adults are day flying and are on the wing from December until February.

References

  1. 1 2 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.
  2. 1 2 3 4 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: 114. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN   0111-5383. Wikidata   Q45083134.
  3. 1 2 3 A. Philpott (1926). "New Zealand Lepidoptera: Notes and Descriptions". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 56: 397–398. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q63100760.
  4. 1 2 George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 310, LCCN   88133764, OCLC   25449322, Wikidata   Q58593286
  5. ↑ 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.
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