Harmologa sanguinea

Harmologa sanguinea
Male holotype
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Tortricidae
Genus:	Harmologa
Species:	H. sanguinea
Binomial name
Harmologa sanguinea Philpott, 1915 [1]

Harmologa sanguinea is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. ^[1] This species was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1915. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed the southern parts of the South Island including Fiordland, Southland and Otago. Larvae feed on species of Veronica and adults are on the wing in November to March.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1915 using specimens collected at using specimens collected at Cleughearn Peak in the Hunter Mountains at around 3000 ft. in January. ^[2] George Hudson described and illustrated this species in his 1928 publication The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. ^[3] The male holotype is held at the New Zealand Arthropod Collection. ^[4]

Description

Illustration by Hudson.

Philpott described this species as follows:

♂. 17-18+1⁄2 mm. Head fuscous mixed with grey. Palpi reddish-brown. Antennae fuscous ringed with oclireous, filiations 1+1⁄2. Thorax brownish-red mixed with grey. Abdomen pale fuscous, segmental margins grey. Forewings elongate, costa moderately arched, apex subacute, termen rounded, slightly oblique ; dark purplish-red ; margin of basal patch oblique, almost straight, from 1⁄5 to 1⁄3 ; followed by a shining silvery fascia much intermixed with yellow or orange, its outer margin from just beyond costal patch, very oblique to 3⁄4 , thence less oblique to dorsum at 1⁄2 ; a similarly coloured median fascia, rather broad, narrowest on costa, usually becoming obsolete at middle ; a similar fascia from tornus, rather oblique inwardly to middle, thence bent acutely downwards and inwards, sometimes obscurely touching median fascia ; an obscure subterminal fascia from before apex obliquely to termen at middle : cilia greyish-fuscous mixed with some reddish and with two darker lines. Hindwings dark fuscous : cilia grey with a darker line. ^[2]

H. sanguinea can be distinguished from similar looking moths as result of differences in tornal and subterminal fasciae. ^[2]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in Fiordland. ^{[1] [2]} It has also been observed at the Eyre Ecological District in Southland, as well as on Maungatua and Flat Top Mountain in the Otago Region. ^{[5] [6]}

Habitat and hosts

H. sanguinea caught by day in Hebe shrubs on the edge of a wetland.

This species inhabits subalpine habitat. ^[3] The larval plant host of this moth are species in the genus Veronica. ^[7]

Behaviour

Adults are on the wing from November to March and have been observed flying amongst Veronica and Cassinia plants. ^{[8] [2]}

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. Alfred Philpott (12 July 1915). "Descriptions of new species of Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 47: 199. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q66084596. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
3. Hudson, G. V. (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 240, LCCN   88133764, OCLC   25449322, Wikidata   Q58593286 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
4. 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.
5. A.F. Mark; K.J.M. Dickinson; B.H. Patrick; et al. (December 1989). "An ecological survey of the central part of the Eyre Ecological District, northern Southland, New Zealand". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 19 (4): 349–384. doi:10.1080/03036758.1989.10421841. ISSN   0303-6758. Wikidata   Q56974942.
6. George Vernon Hudson (1939), A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 435, OCLC   9742724, Wikidata   Q109420935 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
7. J.S. Dugdale (July 1990). "Reassessment of Ctenopseustis Meyrick and Planotortrix Dugdale with descriptions of two new genera (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 17 (3): 459. doi:10.1080/03014223.1990.10422943. ISSN   0301-4223. Wikidata   Q54576382.
8. "Harmologa sanguinea Philpott, 1915". www.gbif.org. 2025. Retrieved 2025-03-13.