Stigmella hamishella

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

Stigmella hamishella is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. [2] 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.

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 Homer Tunnel, at 900 m altitude on the 29 December 1983 by B. H. Patrick, is held in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection. [3]

Description

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

Head. Frontal tuft white; scape white and grey; collar greyish white; antenna dark grey, comprising 36 segments. Thorax grey. Forewing about 4 mm long; ground colour whitish grey, with basal, medial, and terminal dark grey areas and vague black spots medially and terminally; fringe grey. Hindwing and fringe grey. Abdomen pale brown. [3]

Donner and Wilkinson described the female of the species as follows:

Generally larger than male; antenna comprising 32 segments; forewing paler, with spots more conspicuous. [3]

Donner and Wilkinson explained that the differences in genitalia and general appearance of this species indicated that is a discrete species. [3]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. [1] [4] It has been observed in the South Island. [3]

Host and habitat

Larval host O. moschata. Olearia moschata 244972707.jpg
Larval host O. moschata.

The larvae feed on Olearia moschata . [5] The preferred habitat of S. hamishella is the same as its host plant, montane to subalpine shrubland. [3]

Behaviour

The larvae of this species mine the leaves of their host plant. [3] The mine consists of blotches, mainly on the lower leaves. Adults have been recorded in December. [3]

References

  1. 1 2 "Stigmella hamishella Donner & Wilkinson, 1989". biotanz.landcareresearch.co.nz. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  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 8 9 Hans Donner; Christopher Wilkinson (28 April 1989). "Nepticulidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera)". Fauna of New Zealand. 16. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research: 23–24. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.16. ISSN   0111-5383. OCLC   924829916. Wikidata   Q45079930.
  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. ↑ "PlantSynz - Invertebrate herbivore biodiversity assessment tool: Database". plant-synz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
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