Mallobathra metrosema

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Mallobathra metrosema
Fig 5 MA I437907 TePapa Plate-XLVI-The-butterflies full (cropped).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Psychidae
Genus: Mallobathra
Species:
M. metrosema
Binomial name
Mallobathra metrosema
Meyrick, 1888 [1]
Synonyms
  • Reductoderce metrosema(Meyrick, 1888)

Mallobathra metrosema is a moth of the family Psychidae. [1] This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1888. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North and South Islands. This species is known to inhabit remnant floodplain native forest. Adults have been seen on the wing in September and January. This species is regarded as being uncommon in the Low Canterbury Plains Ecological District.

Contents

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1888 using specimens collected in Riccarton Bush in Christchurch in September. [2] [3] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. [4] In 1971 K. A. J. Wise, when revising the genus Reductoderces , placed this species within that genus. [5] However John S. Dugdale did not follow this placement in his 1988 publication cataloguing New Zealand lepidoptera. [3] The lectotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London. [3]

Description

Meyrick first described this species as follows:

Male. — 12-13 mm. Head, palpi, antennae, and thorax pale greyish-ochreous; palpi short; antennal ciliations 4. Abdomen grey. Legs dark fuscous, ringed with whitish-ochreous, posterior tibiae suffused with whitish-ochreous. Forewings elongate, slightly dilated posteriorly, costa gently arched, apex round-pointed, hindmargin very oblique, slightly rounded; pale greyish-ochreous, sometimes brownish-tinged; numerous small scattered irregular dark fuscous singulae; a very obscure ochreous-whitish streak along inner margin from 1⁄3 to near anal angle, interrupted by a small dark fuscous spot in middle; a straight narrow dark fuscous fascia from middle of costa to inner margin before anal angle, more or less distinctly interrupted in disc; three very small dark fuscous spots on posterior half of costa : cilia pale greyish-ochreous, fuscous - tinged. Hindwings fuscous - grey; cilia 4⁄5, light fuscous-grey. [2]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North and South Islands. [6] [4] Hudson stated that as well as Christchurch this species had also been observed on the coast near Wellington and at Hanmer. [4] [7] This species has also been observed near Whangārei. [8] This species is regarded as being uncommon in the Low Canterbury Plains Ecological District. [9]

Habitat

This species is known to inhabit remnant floodplain native forest. [10]

Behaviour

The adults of this species are on the wing in September and January. [4] [8]

References

  1. 1 2 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. 1 2 Meyrick, E. (1888). "Descriptions of New Zealand Tineina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute (in English and English). 20: 103. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q63125188.
  3. 1 2 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: 68. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN   0111-5383. Wikidata   Q45083134.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Hudson, G. V. (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 352, LCCN   88133764, OCLC   25449322, Wikidata   Q58593286
  5. ↑ Wise, K. A. J. (10 November 1971). "Neuroptera: Hemerobiidae" (PDF). Pacific Insects Monographs (in English and English). 27: 141. ISSN   0078-7515. Wikidata   Q111730628.
  6. ↑ "Mallobathra metrosema Meyrick, 1888". www.nzor.org.nz. 2024. Archived from the original on 2022-05-10. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  7. ↑ George Vernon Hudson (1939), A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 468, OCLC   9742724, Wikidata   Q109420935
  8. 1 2 "Mallobathra metrosema Meyrick, 1888". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  9. ↑ Shadbolt, Antony B. (23 September 2014). "Christchurch District Plan. Site of Ecological Significance : Riccarton Bush" (PDF). districtplan.ccc.govt.nz. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  10. ↑ Richard Toft; Denise Ford; Jon Sullivan; Glenn Stewart (1 October 2018), Invertebrates of an urban old growth forest are different from forest restoration and garden communities, vol. 43, p. 2, doi:10.20417/NZJECOL.43.1, Wikidata   Q113069638
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