Pasiphila fumipalpata

Pasiphila fumipalpata
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Geometridae
Genus:	Pasiphila
Species:	P. fumipalpata
Binomial name
Pasiphila fumipalpata (Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875) [1]
Synonyms
Eupithecia fumipalpataFelder & Rogenhofer, 1875 Chloroclystis fumipalpata(Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875) Chloroclystis maculataHudson, 1898

Pasiphila fumipalpata is a moth of the family Geometridae. ^[1] This species was first described by Baron Cajetan von Felder and Alois Friedrich Rogenhofer in 1875. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed on both the North and South Islands. However this species is regarded as rare. P. fulmipalpata inhabits native bush and adults are on the wing from December until February. They are attracted to light.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Baron Cajetan von Felder and Alois Friedrich Rogenhofer in 1875 and originally named Eupithecia fumipalpata. ^[2] In 1898 George Hudson, thinking he was describing a new species, named this moth Chloroclystis maculata. ^[3] This name was synonymised with Chloroclystis fumipalpata by Alfred Philpott in 1926. ^[4] Hudson accepted this synonymisation and discussed and illustrated this species under the name Chloroclystis fumipalpata in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. ^[5] In 1971 John S. Dugdale placed this species back in the genus Pasiphila. ^[6] The female holotype, collected by T. R. Oxley in Nelson, is held at the Natural History Museum, London. ^[7]

Description

Illustration by Hudson.

George Hudson described the adults of this species as follows:

The expansion of the wings is about 7⁄8 inch. All the wings are creamy-white slightly tinged with warm brown or greenish-grey. The fore-wings have several irregular large black marks on the costa extending about two-thirds towards the apex; there is a curved transverse series of black dots at about two-thirds, and several irregular black marks on the termen near the middle and at the tornus. The termen of the hind-wings is irregular; there are numerous rows of black spots darkest near the dorsum. The cilia are cream-coloured strongly barred with black. All the wings have a wavy white subterminal line. ^[5]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. ^[1] It is located in both the North and South Islands but is regarded as being relatively rare. ^[5]

Habitat and hosts

This species inhabits native forest. ^[5]

Behaviour

Adults are on the wing from December until February and are attracted to light. ^[5]

References

1. "Pasiphila fumipalpata (Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875)". www.nzor.org.nz. Archived from the original on 2024-12-20. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
2. Felder, Cajetan; Rogenhofer, Alois Friedrich (1864–1867). "Reise der österreichischen Fregatte Novara". Reise der österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859 unter den Befehlen des Commodore B. Von W. pt.9:Bd.2:Abt.2 (1864-1867) Atlas: cxxxi fig 33 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
3. George Vernon Hudson (1898), New Zealand moths and butterflies (Macro-lepidoptera), Illustrator: George Hudson, London: West, Newman, & Co., pp. 44–45, doi:10.5962/BHL.TITLE.7912, OCLC   980865393, Wikidata   Q19073637 BHL page 7643693
4. A. Philpott (1926). "New Zealand Lepidoptera: Notes and Descriptions". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 56: 388. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q63100760.
5. Hudson, G. V. (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 96, LCCN   88133764, OCLC   25449322, Wikidata   Q58593286 BHL page 61899707 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
6. 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: 106. ISSN   0078-7515. Wikidata   Q64006453.
7. 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: 187. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN   0111-5383. Wikidata   Q45083134.