Physetica cucullina

Physetica cucullina
	Female
	Male
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Physetica
Species:	P. cucullina
Binomial name
	Physetica cucullina; (Guenée, 1868)
Synonyms
	Xylocampa cucullinaGuenée, 1868 ; Melanchra cucullina(Guenée, 1868) ; Aletia cucullina(Guenée, 1868) ; Aletia obsecrataMeyrick, 1914 ; Aletia parmataPhilpott, 1926 ; Aletia probenotaHowes, 1945 ;

Last updated September 12, 2023

Physetica cucullina is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae.^[1] 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.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Achille Guenée in 1868 and named Xylocampa cucullina.^[2] In 1898 George Hudson described and illustrated this species under the names Melanchra cucullina.^[3] Edward Meyrick, in 1912, placed this specie in the Aletia genus.^[4] Hudson again discussed this species in 1928 but under the name Aletia cucullina following Meyrick's placement.^[5] In 1988 J. S. Dugdale placed this species in the Aletia genus.^[6] In 2017 Robert Hoare undertook a review of New Zealand Noctuinae and placed this species in the genus Physetica.^[1] Hoare also synonymised Aletia obsecrata and Aletia probenota with P. cucullina and reinstated the synonymy of Aletia parmata with P. cucullina.^[1] The male holotype specimen was collected by H. G. Knaggs, likely at Rakaia in Canterbury and is held at the Natural History Museum, London.^[6]

Description

Guenée first described the species as follows:

It is scarcely the size of inceptura, and the wings are rather more obtuse. Superior cinereous, with intensely black terminal clots ; the costa also marked with black dots, which indicate the origin of the ordinary lines, which are little visible ; the half-line is the most apparent, formed of two arcs, one placed above the other ; no basal line ; subterminal indicated by a series of wedge-shaped blackish spots ; and the central shade by a black dot on the inner margin ; the two ordinary spots are visible, and of the normal form : inferior smoky-grey, without markings, and with a white fringe ; their under-side whitish, with a large black cellular lunule, and a strongly defined border, which resembles that of the species of Anarta. Antennae stout, scarcely ciliated. The terminal joint of the palpi strongly projecting, but much shorter than the second, naked, and somewhat club-shaped. Thorax with a black line on each patagium.^[2]

The male of this species has a wingspan of between 29 and 37 mm and the female has a wingspan of between 29 and 36 mm.^[1] This species has variable colouration of its forewings.^[1]P. cucullina is almost identical in appearance to P. funerea.^[1] The only reliable distinguishing feature between the two species is the antennae of the male.^[1] Male P. cucullina have antennae with distinct erect ciliations.^[1] The only other difference is that largest specimens of P. funerea have a greater wingspan than the largest known P. cucullina.^[1] P. sequens is also similar in appearance to P. cucullina however the forewing dorsum area of the former species does not have the narrow black line that is frequently present on P. cucullina forewings.^[1]

Distribution

It is endemic to New Zealand.^[7]^[8] This species is found throughout the South Island apart from in the Nelson district with the exception of the St Arnaud Range where it is present.^[1] It is likely to be also resident in Stewart Island.^[1]

Habitat

P. cucullina lives in shrubland at subalpine and alpine zones but can occur at sea-level in the more southern regions.^[1]

Behaviour

Adults of this species is on the wing from October to March and are attracted to light.^[1]

Life history and host species

The life history of this species is poorly documented.^[1] As at 2017, there is no description of the larvae and there is only one known record in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection of the larvae of this species having been reared.^[1] This record indicates the larvae were reared on Leucopogon fraseri .^[1]

Related Research Articles

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Austramathes purpurea is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found throughout the North and South Islands but has yet to be recorded at Stewart Island. It inhabits native forest. This species might possibly be confused with A. pessota, however this latter species does not have the purple hue to the forewings. The larvae of A. purpurea feed primarily on māhoe but have been recorded as feeding on, and have been reared on, narrow-leaved māhoe. The larvae pupate in a silken cocoon on moss covered ground. Adults can be found on the wing during the months of March to January but mainly occur during New Zealand's late autumn, winter, and spring. Light trapping may not be the most efficient technique for collecting this species.

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.

Austramathes pessota is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in Northland, in the southern North Island and in the South Island, mainly on the eastern side of that island but is also present in Fiordland. It is not regarded as being present in either Dunedin or the Southland district. This species lives in shrubland at altitudes ranging from sea-level up to subalpine. As at 2017, the larvae have yet to be described or photographed but it is known that they feed on Melicytus alpinus and it is likely that Melicytus micranthus is also a host. Adults of this species are distinctively patterned and coloured. Its appearance differs from its close relatives such as A. purpurea as it lacks the purple hue that can be seen on the latter species forewings. It also differs from A. coelacantha as it is much darker and has a distinctive small, round, pale mark on its forewing. Adults are on the wing from December to April.

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.

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Ichneutica sistens is a moth of the family Noctuidae. 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.

Physetica homoscia is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found throughout New Zealand including in the Auckland Islands. This species inhabits places where its host plants are common and this includes costal dune habitat. It lives at a wide range of altitudes from sea-level up to at least 1750 m. The larvae of P. homoscia feed on Ozothamnus leptophyllus and Ozothamnus vauvilliersii. They are very active and drop to the ground when disturbed. Larvae are parasitised by a species of fly. This species pupates in the soil and the pupa life stage lasts for approximately 6 weeks. The adult moths are on the wing from September to June and are attracted to light. The adults of P. homoscia might possibly be confused with Ichneutica moderata however this latter species lacks the small white dots on the forewing veins of P. homoscia. Adults might also be confused with P. temperata but P. homoscia is significantly larger in size.

Physetica temperata is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and found in the North Island and the top of the South Island in coastal areas. P. temperata is unlikely to be confused with other species in its range, even though it is not distinctively patterned. It is possible that males might be confused with males of P. homoscia but this latter species is much larger. P. temperata can be distinguished from P. caerulea as the former species has forewing veins that are marked black and a chequered forewing fringe. The adults of this species are on the wing from September to March. The life history of this species has not been well documented although it is thought that larval host species is Ozothamnus leptophyllus.

Physetica funerea is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found only in the western and central parts of the South Island. This species inhabits shrubland in the subalpine and alpine zones. The life history of this species is unknown as are the larval host species. Adults of this species are on the wing from October to February. This species is almost identical to P. cucullina with the only difference between the two species being the structure of the male antennae. P. funerea is also similar in appearance to P. sequens, but the latter species tends to have a prominently underlined kidney-shaped mark nearer to the outer edge of the forewing.

Physetica longstaffi is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and found in the North and South Islands. This species lives in open habitats and shrublands, at altitudes ranging from the low alpine zone down to sea-level. As at 2017 the biology of this species is in need of further investigation as there is no published description of the larvae of this species nor have larval specimens been preserved in collections. There is also confusion over the possible larval host plants for this species. This species is on the wing from February to May. There is also a record from the North Cape in December. The adults of this species is attracted to light. P. longstaffi might possibly be confused with P. sequens or P. phricias. However unlike both P. sequens and P. phricias, P. longstaffi has a large oval mark near the centre of the forewing. Other distinguishing features include further differences in the colouration of the forewings of P. longstaffi as well as differences in the third labial palp segment of the male and differences in the shape of the male genitalia.

Physetica sequens is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found throughout the North and South Islands. It appears to be more common in the North Island than the South Island, and lives in open native shrublands, peatlands, Northland gumland, inland volcanic dunes, and Dracophyllum-dominated areas at altitudes that range from sea level to the alpine zone, up to at least 1600 m. Larvae of this species have been successfully reared on Leucopogon fasciculatus and Leptecophylla juniperina. The adults of this species are variable in appearance and are on the wing from September to March. P. sequens is similar in appearance to P. phricias but can be distinguished as P. phricias has a narrow black line along the dorsum of its forewing that P. sequens does not. P. sequens is also similar in appearance to P. cucullina however the forewing dorsum area of P. sequens does not have the narrow black line that is frequently present on P. cucullina forewings.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Robert J. B. Hoare (23 June 2017). Illustrator: Birgit E. Rhode. "Noctuinae (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) part 1: Austramathes, Cosmodes, Proteuxoa, Physetica" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. 73: 46–48. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.73. ISSN 0111-5383. OCLC 1002177011. Wikidata Q44893580.
1 2 Achille Guenée (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. ISSN 0013-8908. Wikidata Q104214297.
↑ George Vernon Hudson (1898), New Zealand moths and butterflies (Macro-lepidoptera) , Illustrator: George Hudson, London, pp. 27–28, doi:10.5962/BHL.TITLE.7912, OCLC 980865393, Wikidata Q19073637 {{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
↑ Edward Meyrick (1912). "A revision of the classification of the New Zealand Caradrinina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 44: 98. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q107609940.
↑ George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington, p. 58, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286 {{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
1 2 John Stewart Dugdale (23 September 1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. 14: 199. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
↑ "Physetica cucullina (Guenée, 1868)". www.nzor.org.nz. 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
↑ "Physetica cucullina (Guenée, 1868)". nztcs.org.nz. 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

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[Hoare2017-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Robert J. B. Hoare (23 June 2017). Illustrator: Birgit E. Rhode. "Noctuinae (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) part 1: Austramathes, Cosmodes, Proteuxoa, Physetica" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. 73: 46–48. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.73. ISSN 0111-5383. OCLC 1002177011. Wikidata Q44893580.

[Guenée1868-2] 1 2 Achille Guenée (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. ISSN 0013-8908. Wikidata Q104214297.

[Hudson1898-3] George Vernon Hudson (1898), New Zealand moths and butterflies (Macro-lepidoptera) , Illustrator: George Hudson, London, pp. 27–28, doi:10.5962/BHL.TITLE.7912, OCLC 980865393, Wikidata Q19073637 {{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[Meyrick1912-4] Edward Meyrick (1912). "A revision of the classification of the New Zealand Caradrinina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 44: 98. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q107609940.

[Hudson1928-5] George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington, p. 58, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286 {{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[Dugdale_1988-6] 1 2 John Stewart Dugdale (23 September 1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. 14: 199. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.

[7] "Physetica cucullina (Guenée, 1868)". www.nzor.org.nz. 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[8] "Physetica cucullina (Guenée, 1868)". nztcs.org.nz. 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

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