Scoparia acharis

Scoparia acharis
Female
Male
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Crambidae
Genus:	Scoparia
Species:	S. acharis
Binomial name
Scoparia acharis Meyrick, 1884 [1] [2]

Scoparia acharis is a moth of the family Crambidae. ^[3] It was named by Edward Meyrick in 1884. This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in both the North and South Islands. The preferred habitat of this species is native forest and in the South Island S. acharis has been observed in beech forest. The larval host of this species is moss. Adults are most commonly on the wing from November to January, although this species has been observed from October until March.

Taxonomy

This species was first mentioned by Edward Meyrick in 1884 and in May 1885 was given a fuller description. ^{[4] [5]} For this description Meyrick used two specimens collected at Akaroa and Dunedin amongst native forest in January. ^[5] In 1928 George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his publication The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. ^[6] The male lectotype, collected in Akaroa, is held at the Natural History Museum, London. ^[7]

Description

The eggs of this species are oval in shape and are laid flat in groups of two or three. The egg is approximately 0.4 mm in length and is green in colour with an iridescent sheen. The surface is ridged and roughened. ^[6]

The wingspan is 17.5 mm. The forewings are whitish-ochreous, irrorated with fuscous and dark fuscous. There is a sharply defined oblique black spot from the base of the costa. The first line is indicated only by an obscure dark posterior margin, followed on the costa by a sharply defined moderate triangular black spot. The terminal area is suffused with brownish-ochreous and there is a cloudy, ochreous-whitish subterminal line with a row of ochreous-whitish marks. The hindwings are very pale whitish grey. ^[5]

This species is distinctive in appearance with sharply defined black costal markings, double reniform and relatively long antennal ciliations. ^[5]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. ^[1] It has been observed throughout the North and South Islands including at Kaeo, Ohakune, in the Tararua Ranges, Kaitoke, Wellington, Akaroa, Otira, Dunedin, Lake Wakatipu, and Invercargill. ^{[6] [8] [9]}

Habitat

This species inhabits native forest. ^[6] S. acharis has also be observed in beech forest at Mt Aspiring Station where the species is restricted to alpine habitat. ^[10] The larval host of this species is moss. ^[11]

Behaviour

Adults have most commonly been recorded on wing from November to January, although this species has been observed from October until March. ^{[12] [13]} This species is attracted to light. ^{[14] [11]}

References

1. "Scoparia acharis Meyrick, 1884". www.nzor.org.nz. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
2. "Scoparia acharis Meyrick, 1884". biotanz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
3. Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 458. ISBN   978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC   973607714. OL   25288394M. Wikidata   Q45922947.
4. Edward Meyrick (1884). "Descriptions of New Zealand Microlepidoptera. IV. Scopariadae". New Zealand Journal of Science. 2: 235. Wikidata   Q113372586.
5. Edward Meyrick (1885). "Art. XI. — Descriptions of New Zealand Micro-Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 17: 85–86. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q113379604. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
6. Hudson, G. V. (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 186, LCCN   88133764, OCLC   25449322, Wikidata   Q58593286
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: 159. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN   0111-5383. Wikidata   Q45083134.
8. George Vernon Hudson (June 1905). "Notes on the Entomology of Mount Holdsworth, Tararua Range". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 37: 340. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q117490692.
9. George Vernon Hudson (June 1913). "Notes on the Entomology of the Ohakune and Waiouru Districts". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 45: 61. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q117491464.
10. Mt Aspiring Station-Conservation Resources Report pt1 (PDF) (Report). Land Information New Zealand Ltd. November 2005. pp. 1–96. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
11. Esperschuetz, Juergen (2018). Restoration research - Punakaiki Coastal Restoration Project, 2014-2016 (PDF). Mike Bowie, Carol M.S. Smith, Mick Abbott, Nicholas M. Dickinson, Lincoln University. Department of Ecology. [Christchurch]: Lincoln University. p. 84. ISBN   978-0-86476-418-8. OCLC   1204405272.
12. Alfred Philpott (1917). "A list of the Lepidoptera of Otago". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 49: 219. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q63958657.
13. "Scoparia acharis: iNaturalist Research Grade Observations". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
14. D. E. Gaskin (January 1970). "NEW RECORDS OF LEPIDOPTERA FROM MT. EGMONT AND MT. RUAPEHU, NEW ZEALAND". New Zealand Entomologist. 4 (3): 113. doi:10.1080/00779962.1970.9722933. ISSN   0077-9962. Wikidata   Q105726524.