Ichneutica sistens

Ichneutica sistens
	Female
	Male
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Ichneutica
Species:	I. sistens
Binomial name
	Ichneutica sistens; (Guenée, 1868)
Synonyms
	Eumichtis sistensGuenée, 1868 ; Mythimna sistens(Guenée, 1868) ; Aletia s.l. sistens(Guenée, 1868) ; Aletia sistens(Guenée, 1868) ; Graphania sistens(Guenée, 1868) ; Agrotis mitisButler, 1877 ; Graphania mitis(Butler, 1877) ; Spaelotis inconstansButler, 1880 ; Graphania inconstans(Butler, 1880) ; Aletia inconstans(Butler, 1880) ; Mythimna inconstans(Butler, 1880) ; Leucania temenaulaMeyrick, 1907 ; Graphania temenaula(Meyrick, 1907) ; Leucania pachysciaMeyrick, 1907 ; Graphania pachyscia(Meyrick, 1907) ; Aletia mundaPhilpott, 1917 ; Aletia gourlayiPhilpott, 1921 ; Graphania gourlayi(Philpott, 1921) ; Melanchra cyanopetraMeyrick, 1927 ; Aletia cyanopetra(Meyrick, 1927) ; Graphania cyanopetra(Meyrick, 1927) ; Aletia lacustrisMeyrick, 1934 ; Mythimna lacustris(Meyrick, 1934) ; Aletia mitis(Butler, 1877) ;

Last updated November 23, 2023

Ichneutica sistens is a moth of the family Noctuidae.^[1] This species is endemic to New Zealand. It can be found in the central North Island and throughout the South Island, although it is more common on the eastern side of that latter Island. It is very variable in both colour and size. I. sistens prefers open habitat such as tussock grasslands, dunes and braided rivers. Larval host species include grasses in the family Poaceae and include species in the genera Rytidosperma and Elymus, as well as Poa cita and Agrostis capillaris . Adults are on the wing from January to May and are attracted to light.

Taxonomy

This species was originally described by Achille Guenée in 1868 using specimens collected by Richard William Fereday in the Canterbury region and named Eumichtis sistens.^[3] The lectotype specimen is presumed by Robert Hoare to have been collected at Rakaia.^[2] The lectotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.^[2]

In 1988 J. S. Dugdale, in his catalogue of New Zealand Lepidoptera, placed this species within the Aletia genus.^[4] In 2019 Robert Hoare undertook a major review of New Zealand Noctuidae.^[2] During this review the genus Ichneutica was greatly expanded and the genus Aletia was subsumed into that genus as a synonym.^[2] As a result of this review, this species is now known as Ichneutica sistens.^[2] Hoare, while undertaking the review, inspected the type material of several species, originally named Agrotis mitis, Spaelotis inconstans, Aletia munda, Aletia gourlayi, Melanchra cyanopetra and Aletia lacustris.^[2] Hoare placed them all within the genus Ichneutica and subsumed them as synonyms of Ichneutica sistens.^[2] Hoare justifies this by arguing that although there are differences in size and wing pattern as well as minor variations in the genitalia of the male moths, these variations are in a continuous series.^[2]

Description

S. Lindsay described the larvae of this species as follows:

25 mm. long, elongate, smooth, ochreous; numerous longitudinal stripes, pale fuscous; sixteen legs.^[5]

Guenée describes the adults of this species as follows:

The thorax and superior wings testaceous-grey, with a greenish appearance ; all the markings are well defined, especially the elbow line, which is formed of little black lunules slightly separated ; the two ordinary spots are large, grey encircled with black ; the orbicular is round, marked with a subcostal black dot ; the reniform broad, filled in with black below ; beneath it is the median shade which forms a series of zig-zags to the inner margin ; the subterminal line is slender, pale, sometimes preceded by small isolated black dots ; other dots, somewhat lunulate, precede the concolorous fringe : inferior blackish-grey, with terminal black dashes. Collar with a slight black line. Antennae thick, and, with the lens, thickened ciliated denticulations are perceptible. Abdomen without crests. The ♀ is slightly paler ; its abdomen very thick, beneath with two lateral series of black markings. The antennae have only slight, scarcely perceptible ciliations.^[3]

This species is variable in both size and colour. I. sistens has a forewing that is coloured grey or dark grey or a grey with a greenish tinge.^[2] The wingspan of the adult male is between 28 and 39 mm where as the female has a wingspan of between 29 and 39 mm.^[2] It can be distinguished from I. virescens as I. sistens is smaller, has a shorter and thicker forewing, with the outer edge being more rounded, and with less of a shine to the colour.^[2]

Distribution

I. sistens is endemic to New Zealand.^[6] It is found in the central North Island and throughout the South Island, although more frequently on the eastern side of that Island.^[2]

Habitat

This species prefers open habitats such as tussock grasslands, dunes and braided rivers.^[2]

Behaviour

Adults of I. sistens are on the wing from January to May, though there are some specimens in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection that were collected in Central Otago in September. Adults of this species are attracted to light.

Life cycle and host species

The larvae of this species feed on grasses in the family Poaceae including grasses in the genera Rytidosperma and Elymus, and species including Poa cita and Agrostis capillaris .^[2] Adults of the species have been observed feeding on Dracophyllum flowers.^[2]

Related Research Articles

Ichneutica is a genus of cutworm or dart moths in the family Noctuidae. The genus is found in New Zealand and surrounding islands. There are more than 80 described species in Ichneutica, the largest known genus of Lepidoptera in New Zealand. In 2019 this genus was revised and greatly expanded with the genera Graphania Hampson, 1905, Tmetolophota Hampson, 1905 and Dipaustica Meyrick, 1912 all subsumed within it.

Ichneutica lithias is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is a small moth but distinctive as a result of the markings on its forewings. Although this species is widespread in the South Island, it has only been collected in the Rangipo Desert in the North Island. The species prefers habitat that is scrubland ranging in altitude from coastal to alpine. Adults are on the wing from October to April and larvae have been collected and reared on the New Zealand endemic plant species Melicytus alpinus.

Ichneutica omicron is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and found only in the middle and lower parts of the North Island. It is very similar in appearance to its sister species Ichneutica barbara. The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of the larvae. The adults are on the wing in November and December. This species is classified as "At Risk, Naturally Uncommon" by the Department of Conservation.

Ichneutica omoplaca is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is widespread from the Bay of Plenty in the North Island down to Southland in the South Island. Specimens have also been collected from the Auckland Islands. It lives in a variety of habitats including beech forest clearings and tussock grasslands. This species has been recorded that some of the larval hosts of this species include Poa cita, Dactylis glomerata and it has been reared on Plantago lanceolata. The larva is undescribed but pupae have been found in a pine plantation in soil under weeds. Adults of this species are on the wing from October to March. The adult moths are variable in appearance but the diagnostic feature is the pale ochreous to white colouring between the basal streak and the costa which contrasts with the ground colour of the forewing.

Ichneutica acontistis is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found only in the South Island, mainly on the eastern side although not in the Nelson district. This species is similar in appearance to I. paraxysta,I. stulta and I. toroneura. I. acontistis is unlikely to be confused with I. paraxysta as the later is only found in the North Island. I. acontistis can be distinguished from I. stulta as the latter species has a strongly curved forewing edge where as I. acontistis' is straight. I. acontistis can be distinguished from I. toroneura as the former has a dark stroke of colour starting from the base of the forewing that I. toroneura lacks. I. acontistis inhabits tussock grasslands and the larvae of this species feed on species of grass found in the genera Poa, Elymus and Rytidosperma. It pupates under rocks and adults are on the wing from September to January. I. acontistis are attracted to light.

Ichneutica alopa is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the central and southern parts of the North Island as well as in the South Island. It inhabits tussock grasslands and wetlands and can occur at ranges from the alpine zone down to almost sea-level. The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of its larvae in the wild. Larvae of this species have been raised in captivity on Sphagnum moss as well as on species in the genus Raoulia. Adults of this species are on the wing from late January to April and are attracted to light and to sugar traps. I. alope can be confused with I. agorastis, I. micrastra or I. sapiens but the latter three species can be distinguished externally from I. alope through differences in size, forewing pattern and the antennae of the male of the species.

Ichneutica blenheimensis is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found throughout the North, South and the Stewart Islands. This species appears to prefer drier eastern localities and is rarely collected in western North Island forested areas. It does not appear to be frequently collected in inland dry tussock grassland habitats. The host plant for the larvae of this species is likely to be the golden sand sedge pīngao which is now absent from the moths type locality. However Chappell has raised very young larvae on grass species and the more developed larvae consumed Phormium tenax. Adults are on the wing from November to March and are attracted to both light and sugar traps. The blackish forewing fringes are diagnostic of this species. But worn specimens of I. arotis can be confused with worn specimens of I. blenheimensis. However I. arotis can be distinguished from I. blenheimensis as it has a scale-tuft on the thorax and dark longitudinal stripes on the tegula. This species is classified as "At Risk, Naturally Uncommon" by the Department of Conservation.

Ichneutica phaula is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is found only in the South Island in the Nelson district, the eastern side of the South Island and Stewart Island. I. phaula inhabits tussock grasslands and coastal sand dunes. Host species include Ficinia spiralis, Ammophila arenaria, Poa cita and other "tussock grasses". The adults of this species are on the wing from October to December and are attracted to sugar traps. I. phaula is similar in appearance to both I. micastra, with whom it does not share a range, and I. sapiens which differs from I. phaula as I. sapiens is darker and has a more reddish tinge.

Ichneutica sulcana, the dark underwing wainscot, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found throughout the North, South and Stewart Islands at a range of altitudes from the lowlands to the alpine zone. This species prefers to live in native grass, shrub and wetland habitats as well as in native forest. The larval host plants of this species are forest grasses and sedges and larvae have been reared on Microlaena avenacea and species within the genus Carex. The larva pupates in the soil. Adults are on the wing from December to May but have also been recorded in August and September in the northern parts of the North Island. They are attracted to sugar traps as well as to light. I. sulcana and I. supersulcana are very similar in appearance but can be distinguished as there are differences in the male abdomen and genitalia of the two species. Also these two species do not appear to share a range as I. supersulcana seems to prefer to live at higher altitudes than I. sulcana. I. sulcana might also be confused with I. semivittata but I. sulcana is a larger species with a much darker abdomen and hindwing, and has only 1 to 3 dots on the forewing postmedian line.

Ichneutica agorastis is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. This moth is similar in appearance to two other species in the genus but can be distinguished through the colour and size of its forewings. This species is found in the South Island and Stewart Island in open habitats in the subalpine zone. However, in Southland I. agorastis can be found down to sea-level. Adult moths are on the wing between January and April. The life history and host species are unknown.

Ichneutica cuneata is a moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. I. cuneata is found in and around the Tongariro National Park in the North Island and throughout the South Island. Specimens found in Tongariro National Park tend to be darker in appearance than South Island specimens but as their colour is variable, and antennae and genitalia of both species are consistent, they are not now regarded as a separate species. I. cuneata inhabits tussock grasslands and shrublands in alpine and subalpine zones. The adults are on the wing from December to April and can be found flying during the day. The life history of I. cuneata is unknown as are the specific host species of its larvae. However larvae of I. cuneata are said to feed on herbaceous plants. The adults of this species also pollinate native species such as Myosotis macrantha.

Ichneutica fibriata is a moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. Specimens of this moth were first collected by Frederick Giles Gibbs. The species is similar in appearance to other species in the Ichneutica genus particularly I. eris but can be distinguished due to its larger size and more uniform light grey colour. I. fibriata also has a similar coloured thorax and head where as these two anatomical features may differ in colour shade in I. eris. Adults frequent alpine areas and are on the wing in November to January. The life history and the host species of the larvae of this species is unknown.

<i>Euxoa ceropachoides</i> Species of moth

Euxoa ceropachoides, commonly known as Fereday's cutworm, is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as Not Threatened by the Department of Conservation.

Ichneutica panda is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and only found in central and southern parts of the South Island. The species has not been collected in Canterbury since the late 1950s and has not been seen at The Wilderness scientific reserve since 1941. This species is similar in appearance to Ichneutica falsidica however I. panda lack or have indistinct black dashes on their edge of their hindwings. I. panda inhabit shrubland from alpine zones down to river terraces and adults are on the wing between December and February. The life history of this species is unknown as is the host species of the larvae.

Ichneutica falsidica is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and is widespread in the South Island but can only be found in the Tararua Range and Mount Taranaki in the North Island. This species is similar looking to I. panda but I. falsidica has dark dashes on their hind-wings. This species can be found open high country and has been seen flying during the day in sunny warm weather. At night adults are attracted to light. The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of the larvae.

Ichneutica nobilia is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and can be found in the South Island, although not in the Nelson, Dunedin or Southland regions. This species prefers rocky habitats in alpine zones and the blueish-grey sheen on the species' forewings help camouflage it. Adults of I. nobilia are on the wing from December to February and are attracted to light. The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of its larvae.

Ichneutica disjungens is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and can be found on the central volcanic plateau of the North Island and in the eastern as well as the south western parts of the South Island. I. disjungens inhabits tussock grasslands in the alpine and subalpine zones. The hosts of the larvae of this species include Poa cita, P. colensoi, and Festuca novae-zelandiae. The adults of this species are distinctive and are unlikely to be confused with other species. They are on the wing between October and March.

Ichneutica sollennis is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. This species is known from the eastern and central areas of the southern South Island. It inhabits alpine zones and has been collected in tussock grasslands. The life history of this species is unknown. Although the host species is currently unknown it has been hypothesised that this species have grass or grass like plants as host plants. Adults are on the wing from November to February and are attracted to light.

Ichneutica virescens is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand, and is found in the southern North Island and throughout the South Island. The species is found in alpine, sub-alpine, and down to sea-level in grassland habitats. Adults are on the wing from November through to April. The likely larval host may be grasses, but larvae have been reared on a range of plants. The adults are similar to I. panda, I. falsidica and I. nobilia, but is distinguished by size, wing colouration, and antennae formation.

Physetica cucullina is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found throughout the South Island, apart from in the Nelson district with the exception of the St Arnaud Range where it is present. It is likely to be also resident in Stewart Island. P. cucullina lives in shrubland at subalpine and alpine zones but can occur at sea-level in the more southern regions. The life history of this species is poorly documented. There is only one known record in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection of the larvae of this species having been reared. These larvae were reared on Leucopogon fraseri. Adults of this species is on the wing from October to March and are attracted to light. P. cucullina is almost identical in appearance to P. funerea. The only reliable distinguishing feature between the two species is the antennae of the male. P. cucullina is also very similar in appearance to P. sequens but P. sequens lacks the narrow black line on the forewing dorsum area that can be present on the forewings of P. cucullina.

References

1 2 "Ichneutica sistens (Guenee, 1868)". www.nzor.org.nz. 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Hoare, Robert J. B. (9 December 2019). "Noctuinae (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) part 2: Nivetica, Ichneutica". Fauna of New Zealand. 80: 1–455. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.80.
1 2 Guenée, Achille (1868). "New species, &c., of Heterocerous Lepidoptera from Canterbury, New Zealand, collected by Mr. R. W. Fereday". Entomologist's Monthly Magazine. 5: 1–6, 38–43, 61–65, 92–95 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
↑ Dugdale, John Stewart (1988-09-23). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 1–264.
↑ Lindsay, S. (1930). "Notes on New Zealand Lepidoptera no. 11". Records of the Canterbury Museum. 3 (5): 345–347.
↑ "Ichneutica sistens (Guenee, 1868)". nztcs.org.nz. 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-02.

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[NZOR-1] 1 2 "Ichneutica sistens (Guenee, 1868)". www.nzor.org.nz. 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-02.

[Hoare2019-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Hoare, Robert J. B. (9 December 2019). "Noctuinae (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) part 2: Nivetica, Ichneutica". Fauna of New Zealand. 80: 1–455. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.80.

[Guenée1868-3] 1 2 Guenée, Achille (1868). "New species, &c., of Heterocerous Lepidoptera from Canterbury, New Zealand, collected by Mr. R. W. Fereday". Entomologist's Monthly Magazine. 5: 1–6, 38–43, 61–65, 92–95 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.

[4] Dugdale, John Stewart (1988-09-23). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 1–264.

[Lindsay1930-5] Lindsay, S. (1930). "Notes on New Zealand Lepidoptera no. 11". Records of the Canterbury Museum. 3 (5): 345–347.

[:0-6] "Ichneutica sistens (Guenee, 1868)". nztcs.org.nz. 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-02.

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