Epichorista fraudulenta

Epichorista fraudulenta
Male holotype
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Tortricidae
Genus:	Epichorista
Species:	E. fraudulenta
Binomial name
Epichorista fraudulenta (Philpott, 1928) [1]
Synonyms [2]
Eurythecta fraudulentaPhilpott, 1928

Epichorista fraudulenta is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. ^[1] This species was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1928. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the Arthur Range. This species is superficially very similar to Epichorista emphhanes. The female moth is extremely variable. Adults are on the wing in February and March.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Alfred Philpott using specimens collected by Philpott in February and March at Gordon's Pyramid and at the Mount Arthur Tableland in the Arthur Range in 1928. ^[3] It was originally named Eurythecta fraudulenta. ^[3] Later in 1928 Philpott placed this species in the genus Epichorista. ^[4] George Hudson discussed this species as a synonym of Epichorista emphanes in his 1939 book A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand. ^[5] This species is regarded as being taxonomically unresolved as it likely belongs to another genus. ^[6] It is therefore also known as Epichorista (s.l.) emphanes. ^[1] The male holotype specimen, collected at Mount Arthur, is held at the New Zealand Arthropod Collection. ^[2]

Description

Philpott described this species as follows:

♂. 11–14 mm. Head and palpi dark brown mixed with ferruginous or red. Antennae brown mixed with grey, ciliations over one. Thorax dark brown, sometimes mixed with reddish. Abdomen and legs dark brown. Forewings, costa strongly arched at base, apex rectangular, termen moderately rounded, slightly oblique; dark slaty brown strigulated throughout with ferruginous or red; fringes slate colour, basal half reddish. Hindwings greyish-fuscous: fringes greyish-fuscous with dark basal line. ♀. Head and thorax brown, ochreous or ferruginous. Forewings usually brown mixed with yellow, ferruginous or reddish; margin of basal patch very oblique, reaching dorsum at about ½; a broad, fairly even paler fascia following basal patch, usually lead-coloured, sometimes whitish, frequently obscure; a short white outwardly oblique fascia from costa at 3⁄5, frequently bent at middle and continued in lead-colour to before tornus, sometimes forming part of a subtriangular patch on costa before apex: fringes a mixture of the wing colours. Hindwings fuscous: fringes fuscous with dark basal line, round apex ochreous-whitish. ^[3]

Philpott pointed out that E. fraudulenta is superficially very similar to Epichorista emphhanes. ^[3] The female is extremely variable with one example having the first and second fasciae united and forming a broad white band across the wing. ^[3]

Distribution

E. fraudulenta is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the Arthur Range in the Tasman District and West Coast Region. ^{[1] [3]}

Behaviour

Adults of this species are on the wing in February and March. ^[3]

References

1. Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 464. ISBN   978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC   973607714. OL   25288394M. Wikidata   Q45922947.
2. Dugdale , J. S. (23 September 1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. 14. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research: 122. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN   0111-5383. Wikidata   Q45083134.
3. Alfred Philpott (19 March 1928). "Notes and Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 58: 363–364. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q109524279. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
4. Alfred Philpott (September 1928). "Notes and Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 59: 487. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q68431664.
5. George Vernon Hudson (1939), A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 434, OCLC   9742724, Wikidata   Q109420935 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
6. "Epichorista fraudulenta (Philpott, 1928)". www.nzor.org.nz. 2025. Archived from the original on 2024-12-22. Retrieved 2025-03-09.