Proditrix chionochloae

Proditrix chionochloae
Holotype
Conservation status
Declining (NZ TCS) [1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Plutellidae
Genus:	Proditrix
Species:	P. chionochloae
Binomial name
Proditrix chionochloae Dugdale, 1987 [2]

Proditrix chionochloae is a species of moth in the family Glyphipterigidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as "At Risk, Declining'" by the Department of Conservation.

Taxonomy

P. chionochloae was described by John S. Dugdale in 1987 using specimens collected by him at the Pouakai Range in Taranaki. ^{[3] [4]} The holotype specimen is held in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection. ^[4]

Description

Both the male and female adults have wings and their wingspan is 25mm. ^[3] This moth is similar in appearance to Proditrix megalynta with its buff coloured body and legs but P. chionochloae have a greater number of dark spots on the top of their wings. ^[3] P. chionochloae can also be distinguished as its genital characteristics are different from P. megalynta and they have a longer third segment of the labial palpi. ^[3]

Pouakai Range

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. ^{[2] [5]} It can only be found in Taupō and Taranaki at the Pouakai Range. ^{[6] [3]}

Host plant

Chionochloa rubra

The host plant of this species is Chionochloa rubra . ^[3]

Conservation status

This moth is classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification system as being "At Risk, Declining". ^[1] One of the reasons for this classification is that the host plant of this species is being invaded by heather in Taupō localities. ^[6]

References

1. Hoare, R.J.B.; Dugdale, J.S.; Edwards, E.D.; Gibbs, G.W.; Patrick, B.H.; Hitchmough, R.A.; Rolfe, J.R. (2017). Conservation status of New Zealand butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera), 2015 (PDF). Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Department of Conservation. p. 7. ISBN   9781988514383.
2. "Proditrix chionochloae Dugdale, 1987". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
3. Dugdale, J. S. (1987). "Proditrix, a new genus for Titanomis tetragona Hudson and Plutella megalynta Meyrick and allies (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae), shoot destroyers of Monocotyledones" . New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 14: 99–112. doi: 10.1080/03014223.1987.10422687 .
4. Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera-annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 1–264. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-01-27. Retrieved 2018-05-13– via Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd.
5. 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.
6. Patrick, Brian; Dugdale, John S. (2000). Conservation status of the New Zealand lepidoptera (PDF). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Conservation, New Zealand. p. 30. ISBN   0478218672. OCLC   154670803.