| Plutella antiphona | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Female holotype | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Plutellidae |
| Genus: | Plutella |
| Species: | P. antiphona |
| Binomial name | |
| Plutella antiphona Meyrick, 1901 | |
Plutella antiphona, also known as the diamondback moth, is a moth of the family Plutellidae first described by Edward Meyrick in 1901. [1] [2] It is endemic to New Zealand.
This species is very similar in appearance to Plutella xylostella and can only be distinguished from that species either by examining the larvae, the pupae or the adult genitalia. [3] The diamond pattern on the forewings of this species is variable and can be blurred or faded. [3]
It is endemic to New Zealand and is found throughout the country. [4] [3]
P. antiphona inhabit open areas including cultivated places like gardens. [3] Larvae of this species feed on plants in the Brassicaceae family. [3]
The larvae make a web of silk on the lower side of the leaves and produce see through windows in the leaf structure as they feed. [3] They pupate in a cocoon made of silk either on the ground or alternatively on their host plant. [3] Adults are on the wing throughout the year and are both day and night flying. [3] They are attracted to light. [3]
Although this species feeds on plants in the Brassicaceae family it is not regarded as a serious pest of agricultural crops. [3]
Tingena armigerella is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae. T. armigerella is endemic to New Zealand where it is found in the North Island. The larvae of this species feed on plant litter. It is parasitised by the parasitic wasp Fustiserphus intrudens.
Eudonia philerga is a species of moth of the family Crambidae. This species was first described by Edward Meyrick. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found throughout the country. E. philerga is regarded as being common. Larvae feed on moss and the adults have been observed on the wing more frequently from October to April. Adult moths are attracted to light.
Philocryptica is a monotypic genus of moths belonging to the subfamily Tortricinae of the family Tortricidae. It contains only one species, Philocryptica polypodii, the leather-leaf star-miner, which is endemic to New Zealand. This species has been recorded in both the North Island and the South Island, as far south as Banks Peninsula. The preferred habitat of this species is native forest where the species' larval host is present. The larvae feed on Pyrrosia eleagnifolia, mining the host plant leaves. P. polypodii pupates within the final blotch-mine. Adults are on the wing in November and December.
Cryptaspasma querula is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found throughout the country. This species inhabits podocarp and broadleaf forest. The larvae consume parts of the seeds and fruits of tawa, tarairi and miro trees and are predated upon by the invasive to New Zealand house mouse. Adults are variable in appearance and also in size. They are on the wing throughout the year and are nocturnal but are attracted to light. They can be found having flown inside houses and have also been observed resting on fences or other human made structures during the day.
Amblyptilia repletalis is a moth of the family Pterophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found throughout the country from North Cape to Bluff. The species inhabits a variety of habitats including native forest clearings, shrubland, coastal dunes and gardens. Larvae feed on the seed heads of Plantago plant species. Adults are on the wing all year round and are attracted to light.
Pterophorus monospilalis, the white plume moth, is a moth of the family Pterophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and occurs throughout the country. It inhabits native forest, parks and domestic gardens. Larvae are active during the day, are slow moving, and feed exposed. They feed on Pseudopanax species as well as on Hedera helix, Meryta sinclairii, and Schefflera digitata. There are several broods in a year. Adult moths are on the wing from November until May and are attracted to light.
Pterophorus furcatalis, the Pittosporum plume moth, is a moth of the family Pterophoridae. It was first described by Frances Walker and is endemic to New Zealand. This species can be found throughout the North, South and Stewart Islands. Its preferred habitat is dense native bush. Larval host plants include Pittosporum eugenioides and Pittosporum crassicaule. Adult moths are on the wing from November to March and are attracted to light.
Scoparia molifera, also known as the leather-leaf Scoparia, is a species of moth of the family Crambidae. This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1926 and is endemic to New Zealand. It can be found in the North and South Islands. The larvae of this species make silk tunnels from which they mine the leaves of their host, the leather-leaf fern Pyrrosia eleagnifolia. Adult moths are on wing from December to February and are attracted to light.
Scoparia ustimacula, also known as the black-marked brown Scoparia moth, is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Cajetan Felder, Rudolf Felder and Alois Friedrich Rogenhofer in 1875. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found in the North, South and Stewart Islands. This species inhabits dense native forest at altitudes from sea level to approximately 1000 m. Although little is known of the life history of this species, larvae have been observed feeding on Hydrocotyle species. Adults are on the wing year round but are more commonly observed from September to March. Adults are nocturnal, are attracted to light and have been collected by beating scrub.
Reductoderces araneosa is a moth of the family Psychidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1914. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found in the lower part of the South Island. The preferred habitat of R. araneosa is on the edge of native beech forest. The larvae construct a case made from silk, moss and lichens and emerge from it to feed. The female of this species is wingless. The males of this species are on the wing in November and February and have been captured in the early morning.
Hierodoris atychioides is a moth of the family Oecophoridae. It was described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1877. The female holotype specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London. This species is endemic to New Zealand, and can be found in the North, South and Stewart Islands. The larvae form webs of silk attached to frass and leaves on their hosts in which they shelter, often in the company of other larvae in their species. Their feeding habits have not been observed in detail but Hoare hypothesises the larvae may feed on dead or dying leaves. The larvae feed on a wide range of trees and shrubs, including Dacrydium cupressinum, Prumnopitys taxifolia, Dacrycarpus dacrydioides, Libocedrus bidwillii, Cupressus macrocarpa, Leptospermum scoparium, Kunzea ericoides, Ozothamnus leptophyllus, Abies, Picea, Pinus and Thuja species. Although they are regarded as a pest of exotic forests in New Zealand, the economic damage the larvae cause is minimal and they tend to be controlled only by their natural enemies. Larval enemies include the parasitic flies Trigonospila brevifacies and Pales funesta as well as parasitic wasps including Xanthopimpla rhopaloceros. The adult moths are day flying and are most common during the months of December and January. This species is variable in appearance as larvae, pupa and as adults, and it has been hypothesised that it is in the process of speciation.
Ecclitica torogramma, also known as the ponga ugly nestmaker, is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is endemic to New Zealand.
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.
Anisoplaca ptyoptera is a species of moth in the family Gelechiidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1885 and is endemic to New Zealand. This species is found throughout the North and South Islands and prefers habitat where its host plants are common. The larval hosts of this moth are species in the genus Carmichaelia and the larvae stem mine the host plant. However larvae have also been observed feeding on gorse species and as a result their potential as a biological control for gorse has been researched. This behaviour has only been recorded in the Canterbury and Otago regions. A. ptyoptera overwinters as larvae and while in that life stage can be parasitised by species of wasp in the genera Zealachertus and Diadegma. Pupation begins in October. Adult moths are on the wing from October until May with peak emergence occurring in January. The adult moths come in two size classes and should the size of the female be in the larger class fecundity is improved. It is likely that this species has only one brood a year.
Tingena is a genus of the concealer moth family (Oecophoridae). This genus is endemic to New Zealand.
Chalastra pellurgata, also known as the brown fern moth or the pale fern looper, is a moth of the family Geometridae. This species was first described by Francis Walker in 1862. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found throughout the country. It inhabits native forest. This species is extremely variable both in its larval and adult life stage. Larvae of this species are active during spring and summer. They feed on the fronds of fern species. C. pellurgata pupates by forming a thin cocoon on the soil amongst leaf litter and moss. Adults are on the wing throughout the year but are most common from September to March. During the day adult moths can be observed resting on dead fern fronds. They become active from dusk and are attracted to light.
Tortrix fervida is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in both the North and South Islands. The larvae feed on species of fern in the genus Hymenophyllum including Hymenophyllum nephrophyllum. The adult moths are variable in appearance and are day flying. They are on the wing from November until January. This species is regarded as being uncommon.
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.
Doxophyrtis hydrocosma, also known as the Nikau Palm moth, is a species of moth in the family Plutellidae first described by Edward Meyrick in 1914. It is endemic to New Zealand.
Cnephasia microbathra, also known as the brownshouldered leaf-tyer, is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1911. This species is endemic to New Zealand.
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