Mallobathra campbellica

Mallobathra campbellica
Holotype specimen
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Psychidae
Genus:	Mallobathra
Species:	M. campbellica
Binomial name
Mallobathra campbellica Dugdale, 1971 [1]

Mallobathra campbellica is a moth of the family Psychidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and is found only on Campbell Island. The larvae of this species inhabit leaf litter while the adults can be found in sheltered clearings amongst scrub. Adults are on the wing in December and January.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by John S. Dugdale in 1971. ^[2] The female holotype specimen was collected by Guillermo Kuschel in January at Beeman Camp on Campbell Island and is held at the New Zealand Arthropod Collection. ^[3]

Description

Dugdale described the larvae of this species as follows:

D setae on 1st abdominal segment on two pinacula D1 (anterior, D1, D2 posterior); SV group tri-setose above each proleg; metathoracic posterior sternal setae closer together than anterior setae. ^[2]

Dugdale described the adult female of this species as follows:

Head with slender yellow scales; forewings with patches of yellowish scales on a purplish brown, slightly iridescent ground, hindwings dark grey, abdomen dark grey, scent gland scales long, hair-like, crimped at mid-length, pale yellow. Length (vertex to wing tip): 7.4 mm. ^[2]

Distribution

Beeman Cove, Campbell Island, type locality for M. campbellica.

This species is endemic to New Zealand and is found only on Campbell Island. ^{[1] [2] [4]}

Behaviour

The adults are on the wing in December and January. ^[2]

Habitat

The adults of this species inhabit sheltered clearings amongst scrub where as the larvae inhabit leaf litter. ^[2]

References

1. Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 463. ISBN   978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC   973607714. OL   25288394M. Wikidata   Q45922947.
2. Dugdale, J. S. (10 November 1971). "Entomology of the Aucklands and other islands south of New Zealand: Lepidoptera, excluding non-crambine Pyralidae". Pacific Insects Monographs . 27: 139–141. ISSN   0078-7515. Wikidata   Q64006453.
3. 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: 69. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN   0111-5383. Wikidata   Q45083134.
4. Patrick, Brian (March 1994). "Antipodes Island Lepidoptera". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 24 (1): 113. doi:10.1080/03014223.1994.9517457. ISSN   0303-6758. Wikidata   Q54583729.