Harmologa amplexana

Harmologa amplexana
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Tortricidae
Genus:	Harmologa
Species:	H. amplexana
Binomial name
Harmologa amplexana (Zeller, 1875) [1]
Synonyms [2]
Idiographis amplexanaZeller, 1875 Tortrix amplexana(Zeller, 1875) Cacoecia amplexana(Zeller, 1875) Cacoecia vilisButler, 1877

Harmologa amplexana is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. ^[1] This species was first described by Phillipp Christoph Zeller in 1875. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found from the middle of the North Island down to and including the Otago region in the South Island. It inhabits native forest as well as cultivated gardens. The larval host plants are Muehlenbeckia complexa and Olearia odorata . The larvae make webs of silk amongst the leaf litter of their hosts and feed on the same. The larvae are parasitised by the New Zealand endemic wasp Eupsenella insulana . Adults are commonly on the wing from September until April and during the day can be disturbed from native vegetation. Adults are attracted to light.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Phillipp Christoph Zeller in 1875 and named Idiographis amplexana. ^{[2] [3]} In 1877, Arthur Gardiner Butler, thinking he was describing a new species, named this moth Cacoecia vilis . ^[4] In 1881 Edward Meyrick placed this species in the genus Cacoecia and synonymised C. vilis. ^[5] In 1883 Meyrick placed this species in the genus Harmologa. ^[6] George Hudson, in this 1928 publication The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, followed Meyrick and used the name Harmologa amplexana when describing and illustrating this species. ^[7] The male lectotype specimen, the provenance of which is unknown, is held at the Natural History Museum, London. ^[2]

Description

Hudson's illustration of female.

Hudson's illustration of male.

Hudson described this species as follows:

The expansion of the wings of the male is slightly under 3⁄4 inch, of the female slightly over 3⁄4 inch. The fore- wings of the male have the costa strongly arched at the base, the apex pointed and the termen curved; in the female the costa is very strongly arched at the base, becoming concave before the apex, which is very prominent, the termen being very strongly bowed outwards; very pale ochreous with brown markings; there is a narrow, very dark band from 1⁄4 of costa extending obliquely inwards to the disc, thence abruptly to the base—this marking is smaller, fainter and much more curved in the female; an oblique band from before the middle of the costa to the middle of the dorsum, Sharply defined towards the base, shaded towards the termen, but obsolete towards the costa in the male; an elongate curved mark on the costa from the middle almost to the apex, much larger and touching the central band in the male; several small markings near the termen, including a brownish-patch near the middle edged towards the termen with from two to four blackish dots; in both sexes the whole wing is very finely dotted and streaked with minute brown marks. The hind-wings are pale yellowish-ochreous with grey mottling. ^[7]

Meyrick stated that this species differs from all other Australian and New Zealand species in the produced apex and excavated hindmargin of the forewings as well as the angulated dark streak beneath basal portion of costa. ^[5]

Distribution

H. amplexana is endemic to New Zealand. ^[1] This species is found from the centre of the North Island down to and including the Otago region of the South Island. ^[8]

Habitat and hosts

This species inhabits both native forests as well as cultivated gardens. ^[7] The larval host plants are Muehlenbeckia complexa and Olearia odorata . ^{[8] [9]}

Behaviour

Illustration of larva.

Larvae of this species create silken webs amongst leaf litter and then feed on the same. ^[8] Adults are on the wing from September until April and are attracted to light. ^[8] During the day adult H. amplexana can be disturbed from native vegetation. ^[8]

Enemies

Larvae of H. amplexana are the hosts of and are parasitised by the New Zealand endemic wasp Eupsenella insulana . ^[10]

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: 124. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN   0111-5383. Wikidata   Q45083134.
3. Zeller, P. C. (1877). "Beiträge zur Kenntniss der nordamerikanischen Nachfalter, besonders der Microlepidopteren". Verhandlungen der Zoologisch - botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien. 25: 222–223 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
4. Arthur G. Butler (1877). "On two Collections of Heterocerous Lepidoptera from New Zealand, with descriptions of new Genera and Species". Journal of Zoology . 1877: 402–403. ISSN   1469-7998. Wikidata   Q109479517.
5. E. Meyrick (1881). "Descriptions of Australian Micro-Lepidoptera". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales (in English and English). 6: 494–495. doi:10.5962/BHL.PART.11888. ISSN   0370-047X. Wikidata   Q56007561 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
6. Edward Meyrick (May 1883). "Descriptions of New Zealand Micro-Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 15: 47. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q115099569 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
7. Hudson, G. V. (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, pp. 239–240, LCCN   88133764, OCLC   25449322, Wikidata   Q58593286 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
8. Carey Knox (2024). Butterflies & Moths of Aotearoa New Zealand. John Beaufoy Publishing. p. 146. ISBN   978-1-913679-66-8. Wikidata   Q130640046.
9. Brian H. Patrick (December 2000). Lepidoptera of small-leaved divaricating Olearia in New Zealand and their conservation priority (PDF). Vol. 168. Wellington: Department of Conservation. pp. 1–26. ISBN   0-478-22015-4. ISSN   1173-2946. OCLC   48661253. OL   31493622M. Wikidata   Q63012786.{{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
10. Gordon Gordh; Anthony Harris (December 1996). "New records and a new species of Eupsenella (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) in New Zealand". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 26 (4): 529–536. doi:10.1080/03014223.1996.9517523. ISSN   0303-6758. Wikidata   Q54669893.