Stigmella childi

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Stigmella childi
Stigmella childi male holotype.png
Male holotype
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nepticulidae
Genus: Stigmella
Species:
S. childi
Binomial name
Stigmella childi
Donner & Wilkinson, 1989 [1]

Stigmella childi is a species of moth of the family Nepticulidae. [2] It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the southern parts of the South Island. This species inhabits subalpine and alpine grassland and herbfields. The larvae of this species are leaf miners and feed on the leaves of Celmisia haastii . Adults have been observed on the wing in January.

Contents

Taxonomy

This species was first described in 1989 by Hans Donner and Christopher Wilkinson from specimens collected in Fiordland. [3] The male holotype specimen, collected at Lake McKenzie in the Murchison Mountains, at 1200 m altitude on the 10 January 1984 by B.H. Patrick, is held in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection. [3]

Description

Donner and Wilkinson described the adult male of this species as follows:

Head. Frontal tuft and scape rusty brown; collar brown-grey; antenna brownishgrey, comprising 30 segments. Thorax grey-brown. Forewing about 2 mm long, grey brown, lustrous, reflecting gold; fringe grey. Hindwing and fringe pale grey. Abdomen brown-grey. [3]

They described the adult female of the species as follows:

Head. Frontal tuft orange; scape and collar buff. Thorax buff. Forewing buff, lustrous, reflecting silver, with a terminal dark grey area. Abdomen buff. [3]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the South Island. [4] [5] [3]

Habitat

This species inhabits subalpine and alpine grassland and herbfields, the preferred habitat of their host plant. [3]

Behaviour

The larvae of this species mine the leaves of their host plant. [3] Adults are on the wing in January.

Host

Larval host C. haastii. Celmisia haastii 260098339.jpg
Larval host C. haastii.

The larvae feed on the leaves of Celmisia haastii . [6]

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<i>Stigmella cypracma</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Stigmella cypracma is a species of moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North and South Islands. The larvae of this species are leaf miners and pupate within their mines. The larval host species is Brachyglottis repanda. Adult moths are on the wing in February and September to November. This species has two generations per year.

<i>Stigmella erysibodea</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

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<i>Stigmella fulva</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

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Stigmella hakekeae is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the North, South and Stewart Islands. The larvae feed on Olearia species and are leaf miners. This species pupates in a silk cocoon on the ground underneath its host plant. Adults are on the wing most months of year except for March and April. They have been observed flying during the day near their host plant. There are four or five generations per year. This species is regarded as being widely distributed and locally abundant.

<i>Stigmella hamishella</i> Species of moth

Stigmella hamishella is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the South Island. The larvae mine the leaves of Olearia moschata. The mine consists of blotches, mainly on the lower leaves. The preferred habitat of S. hamishella is the same as its host plant, montane to subalpine shrubland. Adults are on the wing in December.

<i>Stigmella hoheriae</i> Species of moth

Stigmella hoheriae is a species of moth of the family Nepticulidae. This day flying moth is found in New Zealand in both the North and South Islands. It inhabits native forest. Eggs are laid on the surface of a still growing leaf of a host plant. Larvae feed on Hoheria species such as Hoheria glabrata, Hoheria populnea, Hoheria sexstylosa and Hoheria angustifolia and have been recorded from February to August. The larvae of S. hoheriae are leaf miners. Their mines create blotches on the host plant leaves. S. hoheriae larvae pupate in a silk cocoon on the ground at the base of their food plant. Adult moths have been observed on the wing in February and from July to December. This species is rarely noticed as it is very small and as a result does not tend to attract attention when on the wing.

<i>Stigmella ilsea</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Stigmella ilsea is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North and South Islands. The larvae of this species are leaf miners and feed on Olearia virgata, Olearia rugosa, Olearia odorata, Olearia laxiflora, Olearia lineate and Olearia hectorii. The mine starts as very narrow gallery, but the full-grown larva occupies all space between the cuticles, leaving nothing but a small, empty bladder. Larvae have been recorded from February to May and in July and September. The cocoon is pale brown and is spun in detritus on the ground underneath the host plant. Adult moths have been recorded in January, October and November. Reared specimens emerged from July to September. There is likely one generation per year.

<i>Stigmella insignis</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Stigmella insignis is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the Hawkes Bay as well as in the north west of the South Island. S. insignis inhabits montane to subalpine grasslands. The larvae of S. insignis are leaf miners. They likely feed on Celmisia spectabilis. Adults of this species have been observed on the wing in March, November and December.

<i>Stigmella kaimanua</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Stigmella kaimanua is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the southern parts of the South Island. S. kaimanua inhabits lowland and lower montane forest. The larvae mine the leaves of Parsonsia heterophylla. The mine is linear and continues down the stems for a short distance. Larvae have been observed April to August. The cocoon is probably attached to the leaf litter on the ground under the host plant. There is one generation per year. Adults are on the wing in November and December and are attracted to light.

<i>Stigmella lucida</i> Species of moth

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<i>Stigmella ogygia</i> Species of moth

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<i>Stigmella oriastra</i> Species of moth

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Stigmella platina is a species of moth in the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to New Zealand.

<i>Asterivora symbolaea</i> Species of moth

Asterivora symbolaea is a species of moth in the family Choreutidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in Arthur's Pass. This species lives in subalpine habitat. Adults of this is on the wing in January and February. Larvae are hosted by Celmisia prorepens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celmisia haastii</span> Haasts mountain daisy

Celmisia haastii is a perennial alpine plant species of the family Asteraceae, native to New Zealand.

References

  1. "Stigmella childi Donner & Wilkinson, 1989". biotanz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  2. Erik J van Nieukerken; Camiel Doorenweerd; Robert J B Hoare; Donald R Davis (31 October 2016). "Revised classification and catalogue of global Nepticulidae and Opostegidae (Lepidoptera, Nepticuloidea)". ZooKeys . 628 (628): 65–246. doi: 10.3897/ZOOKEYS.628.9799 . ISSN   1313-2989. PMC   5126388 . PMID   27917038. Wikidata   Q28109648.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hans Donner; Christopher Wilkinson (28 April 1989). "Nepticulidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera)" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. 16: 19–20. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.16. ISSN   0111-5383. OCLC   924829916. Wikidata   Q45079930. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 July 2021.
  4. Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia : chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 461. ISBN   978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC   973607714. OL   25288394M. Wikidata   Q45922947.
  5. "Stigmella childi Donner & Wilkinson, 1989". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
  6. "PlantSynz - Invertebrate herbivore biodiversity assessment tool: Database". plant-synz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2018-07-12.