| Leucania stenographa | |
|---|---|
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| Female | |
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| Male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Noctuidae |
| Genus: | Leucania |
| Species: | L. stenographa |
| Binomial name | |
| Leucania stenographa | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
| |
Leucania stenographa, commonly known as the sugar cane armyworm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. [3] It is found in Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands.
This species was first described by Oswald Bertram Lower in 1900 using three specimens collected at Parkside, South Australia in June. [4] In 1905 Hampson synonymised this species with L. uda and this placement was accepted by subsequent authors. [2] In 1953 C. Rungs, after studying the male genitalia characteristics of specimens of the species L. foreyi , named a new species Leucania loreyimima. [5] L. loreyimima was subsequently placed in the genus Mythimna. [6] [7] After a specimen labelled with the name stenographa and collected in Parkside was found in Lower's collection at the South Australian Museum, E. D. Edwards revised the taxonomy of L. loreyimima. [2] He examined the specimen and found that it was identical to the Rungs' illustrations of the holotype used by Rungs when first describing L. loreyimima. [2] As a result Edwards synonymised Leucania loreyimima with L. stenographa and recognised it as a valid species. [2] [8]
The term “Armyworm” is used because of their habit to spread out in a line across a lawn or pasture, and slowly “marching” forward, meanwhile consuming the foliage they encounter.
Lower described the species as follows:
♂♀. 38-40 mm. Head, palpi, thorax, legs and abdomen ochreous-fuscous, face with two narrow interrupted fuscous bars, thorax with two transverse anterior bands, anterior one very tine, posterior very broad, coxae densely hairy, posterior pair mixed with fuscous. Antennae fuscous-ochreous. Abdomen beneath more ochreous. Forewings elongate, moderately dilated, costa nearly straight, hindmargin gently rounded; ochreous, strongly infuscated throughout with fine fuscous and dark fuscous lines, becoming edged by an equal width of groundcolour on hind-marginal area, which gives the appearance of alternating ochreous and fuscous lines ; lower edge of cell becoming very strongly infuscated, sometimes more or less continued as a thick streak to apex; a fine whitish-ochreous spot at end of cell; an outwardly curved row of fine black dots from 5⁄6 of costa to inner margin before anal angle : cilia ochreous-fuscous, with a hindmarginal row of black intervenal spots, more pronounced on underside. Hindwings with hindmargin very slightly waved; iridescent-whitish; a fine fuscous hindmarginal line; cilia whitish. [4]
This species can be found in most parts of Australia including South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and Norfolk Island. It is also found in New Zealand and the Cook Islands. [9]
The larvae feed on agricultural plants, such as Saccharum officinarum and Poaceae species and are thus considered a pest. [10]
In New Zealand the invasive wasps Polistes dominula and Polistes chinensis have been shown to predate L. stenographa. [11]
Leucania loreyi, the cosmopolitan, false army worm or nightfeeding rice armyworm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in most of African countries, the Indo-Australian subtropics and tropics of India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, the eastern Palearctic realm, and the Near East and Middle East. The species was first described by Philogène Auguste Joseph Duponchel in 1827.
Sabatinca chrysargyra is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1886 and is endemic to New Zealand. It can be found from Franz Josef Glacier / Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere south but only on the western side of the South Island. Adults are on the wing from the beginning of October until the middle of January. Larvae likely feed on foliose liverworts and have been found on species in the genus Plagiochila. The adult moths live in a range of habitats preferring sunny open spaces in forests or snow-tussock grasslands that can range in altitude from near sea level up to 1,230 m. This species is very similar in appearance to Sabatinca aemula and dissection of genitalia is required to distinguish between the two species.
Glaucocharis chrysochyta is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1882. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found throughout the country. It inhabits native forest. Larvae appear to feed on moss and likely pupate there. Adult moths are on the wing from November to March. They fly at night and are attracted to light.
Heterocrossa cryodana is a species of moth in the family Carposinidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the southern parts of the South Island as well as at Codfish Island / Whenua Hou. This moth is associated with plants in the Leptospermum genus. Adults are on the wing from September until January.
Amblyptilia lithoxesta is a moth of the family Pterophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1885. This species inhabits rough herbage on mountain sides. Larvae feed on Veronica buchananii. Adults are on the wing in January.
Pasiphila plinthina is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in both the North, South and Stewart Islands. It is on the wing mainly from June until September with occasional observations up to December, and is attracted to light. This species is similar in appearance to P. sandycias but can be distinguished from it as P. plinthina has palpi that are longer and has more blurred forewing markings.
Glaucocharis lepidella is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Francis Walker in 1866. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in both the North and South Island. The species inhabits lowland to subalpine native forest. Larvae may feed on mosses. Adults are on the wing from November to February and are attracted to light.
Glaucocharis harmonica is a moth in the family Crambidae. This species was described by Edward Meyrick in 1888. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the North and South Islands. It inhabits lowland to subalpine native forest. It has been hypothesised that there are two broods per year. The larval hosts are unknown. Adults are on the wing from October until January.
Pyrgotis plinthoglypta is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found throughout the whole country. The preferred habitat of this species is native forest. The larvae of this species feeds on rimu leaves from under a silken web. It pupates in loose cocoons amongst rimu foliage. Adults are on the wing from October to May and are night flying. They are attracted to light and can be collected by beating their host tree. The adult insect resembles a small dried fragment of rimu foliage when at rest.
Asaphodes camelias is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand, has been observed in both the North and South Islands and inhabits native forest. The adults of this species are on the wing from February to May and July to September.
Asaphodes cosmodora is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the South Island. The adults of this species are on the wing in January and February.
Tingena aletis is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been collected in the vicinity of Arthur's Pass in the South Island. Adults are on the wing in January.
Tingena anaema is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been collected at Lake Wakatipu, Invercargill and Stewart Island / Rakiura. The adults of the species are on the wing in December.
Tingena letharga is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in Otago. Adults are on the wing in December and January.
Tingena pallidula is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been collected in the Nelson and Tasman regions. Adults of this species are on the wing in February and have been collected by beating undergrowth.
Opsitycha squalidella is a moth of the family Oecophoridae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1884. This species is native to Australia and is likely adventive to New Zealand.
Asaphodes nephelias is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the South Island. The preferred habitat of this species is alpine tussock grasslands above native forest and in wetlands. The adults of this species are on the wing from January to March and are day flying. The female has brachypterous wings.
Trachypepla lichenodes is a moth of the family Oecophoridae first described by Edward Meyrick in 1883. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been found in both the North and South Islands. It inhabits native forest and adults of this species are on the wing from November to January. The adult moths are similarly coloured to native lichen species however this colouration is variable in the extent and depth on the forewings.
Trachypepla spartodeta is a moth of the family Oecophoridae first described by Edward Meyrick in 1883. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been collected in both the North and South Islands. This species inhabits native forest and adults are on the wing from November to January.
Chrysorthenches porphyritis is a species of moth of the family Plutellidae. It was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1885 and is endemic to New Zealand. This species can be found on both the North and South Islands in open native forest and scrub at altitudes from sea level up to 1370 m. The larvae feed on Podocarpus laetus, P. totara, P. nivalis, and Phyllocladus alpinus. The larvae create a shelter by loosely spinning together the leaves of its host plant and can be found feeding in groups. The pupa is formed inside a thin cocoon. Hudson was of the opinion that this species had two broods a year. Adult moths are on the wing all year round. The adults of this species, particularly the female, are variable in colouration and in forewing pattern.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)