Harmologa scoliastis

Harmologa scoliastis
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Tortricidae
Genus:	Harmologa
Species:	H. scoliastis
Binomial name
Harmologa scoliastis (Meyrick, 1907) [1]
Synonyms
Trachybathra scoliastisMeyrick, 1907 Harmologa scoliastes(Meyrick, 1907)

Harmologa scoliastis is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1907. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the southern parts of the North Island and throughout the South Island. This species inhabits open country and has an affinity for Discaria toumatou. Adults are on the wing from November until April, most commonly in January and February.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1907 using a specimen collected by George Hudson at Lake Wakatipu and named Trachybathra scoliastis. ^[2] Meyrick placed this species in the genus Harmologa in 1911. ^[3] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. ^[4] The male holotype is held at the Natural History Museum, London. ^[5]

Description

Harmologa scoliastis.

Meyrick described this species as follows:

♂. 18 mm. Head, palpi, and thorax brownish irrorated with grey-whitish and dark fuscous. Abdomen fuscous. Forewings elongate, hardly dilated, costa slightly bent before middle, apex obtuse, termen faintly sinuate beneath apex, bowed, oblique; pale brownish, partially suffused irregularly with whitish, costa and dorsum strigulated with dark fuscous; outer edge of basal patch indicated by a blackish line in disc, obsolete towards extremities; an irregular incurved fuscous streak marked with black from ⅖ of costa to below middle of disc, followed by whitish suffusion; an irregular dark-fuscous spot above tornus, and some dark-fuscous strigulae towards lower part of termen: cilia grey-whitish mixed with dark grey. Hindwings fuscous, strigulated with darker; some undefined ochreous-yellowish suffusion in centre of disc and towards costa in middle; cilia pale grey, with dark-grey subbasal line. ^[2]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. ^[1] This species is found in the southern parts of the North Island and throughout the South Island. ^[6]

Habitat and hosts

Matagouri (Discaria toumatou).

H. scoliastis inhabits open country. Hudson stated that he obtained specimens by dislodging them from the foliage of Discaria toumatou growing on the banks of the Dart River. ^[4]

Behaviour

Adults of H. scoliastis are on the wing from November until April, most commonly in January and February. ^{[6] [4]} Hudson recorded that a Mr. Gourlay states that

the larva of this insect sometimes inhabits the swellings

in the stems of Muehlenbeckia made by the larva of Morovu

subfasciata*

References

1. "Harmologa scoliastis (Meyrick, 1907) - Biota of NZ". biotanz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
2. Edward Meyrick (June 1907). "Notes and descriptions of Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 39: 113–114. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q110404133. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
3. Edward Meyrick (1 July 1911). "A Revision of the Classification of New Zealand Tortricina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 43: 85–86. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q111014011.
4. 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 .
5. 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: 125. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN   0111-5383. Wikidata   Q45083134.
6. "Harmologa scoliastis". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2025-03-07.