Erechthias fulguritella

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Erechthias fulguritella
Erechthias fulguritella 175005179.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Tineidae
Genus: Erechthias
Species:
E. fulguritella
Binomial name
Erechthias fulguritella
(Walker, 1863) [1]
Synonyms [2]
  • Cerostoma fulguritella Walker, 1863

Erechthias fulguritella is a species of moth in the family Tineidae. [3] It was first described by Francis Walker in 1863. This species is endemic to New Zealand and can be found in both the North and South Islands. It inhabits native forest and scrub. Larvae of this species likely feed on dead plant debris and they have been observed feeding amongst the dead cones of Pinus radiata . Adults are on the wing from October to February and are variable in appearance both in colour and in wing markings.

Contents

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Francis Walker in 1863 using specimens collected in Nelson by Thomas R. Oxley and originally named Cerostoma fulguritella. [4] [2] In 1915 Meyrick placed this species in the genus Erechthias. [5] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand under that name. [6] Hudson also discussed this species in his 1950 book Fragments of New Zealand entomology. [7] The female holotype is held at the Natural History Museum, London. [2]

Description

Illustration by Hudson. Fig 20 MA I437897 TePapa Plate-XXXVI-The-butterflies full (cropped).jpg
Illustration by Hudson.

Hudson described this species as follows:

The expansion of the wings varies from about 1⁄2 to 5⁄8 inch. The fore-wings are pale brownish-ochreous with the costal area more or less clouded with darker brown; there are several cloudy blackish streaks in the disc, extending from the base to the apex, the lowest of these emitting three blunt projections towards the dorsum; the dorsal area is very pale brownish-ochreous, often almost white; there is a black spot at the apex.The hind-wings are very pale greyish-brown, darker towards the apex. [6]

This species can be variable in appearance both in colour and in wing markings. [7]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. [1] It can be found in both the North and South Islands. [6]

Habitat and host species

Living specimen of E. fulguritella. Erechthias fulguritella 329148454.jpg
Living specimen of E. fulguritella.

This species inhabits native forest and scrub. [6] Larvae of species in the genus Erechthias feed on dead plant debris or the tough leaves of plants such as palms. [8] The larvae of this species have been observed feeding amongst the dead cones of Pinus radiata . [9] [7] Larvae have also been reared from the gall of lacebark. [10]

Behaviour

Adults are on the wing from October to February. [11] [6] They are attracted to light. [12]

References

  1. 1 2 "Erechthias fulguritella (Walker, 1863)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 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: 62. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN   0111-5383. Wikidata   Q45083134.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ Francis Walker (1863), List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum, Part XXVIII. - Tortricites and Tineites, London, p. 548, Wikidata   Q109352878 {{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ↑ E. Meyrick (12 July 1915). "Revision of New Zealand Tineina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 47: 233. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q63123349.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Hudson, G. V. (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 336, LCCN   88133764, OCLC   25449322, Wikidata   Q58593286 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  7. 1 2 3 George Vernon Hudson (1950), Fragments of New Zealand entomology. - a popular account of all New Zealand cicadas. The natural history of the New Zealand glow-worm. A second supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand and notes on many other native insects., Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 112, Wikidata   Q107693053 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  8. ↑ Dong-June Lee; Bong-Woo Lee; Young-Min Shin; Tak-Gi Lee; Yeong-Bin Cha; Yang-Seop Bae (December 2020). "A review of the genus Erechthias Meyrick (Lepidoptera, Tineidae), with two newly recorded species from Korea". Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity. 13 (4): 625–630. doi:10.1016/J.JAPB.2020.10.005. ISSN   2287-884X. Wikidata   Q131613958.
  9. ↑ Edwin Stuart Gourlay (1945). "Erechthias fulguritella Walk. (Lepidoptera) inhabiting pine cones". The New Zealand journal of science and technology. B. General section. 27 (3): 248–250. ISSN   0369-6960. Wikidata   Q131623089.
  10. ↑ Davies, T. H. (1990). "List of insects reared from their hosts, from Hawkes Bay, N.Z." Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  11. ↑ Stuart Lindsay (1927). "A List of the Lepidoptera of Deans's Bush, Riccarton, Canterbury". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 57: 693–695. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q111969574.
  12. ↑ T. H. Davies (January 1973). "LIST OF LEPIDOPTERA COLLECTED IN AREAS SURROUNDING HASTINGS AND NAPIER" (PDF). New Zealand Entomologist. 5 (2): 205. doi:10.1080/00779962.1973.9723002. ISSN   0077-9962. Wikidata   Q54755566. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 February 2013.
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