Stigmella lucida

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Stigmella lucida
Stigmella lucida AMNZ17997.jpg
Female syntype
Stigmella lucida (Philpott, 1919) (AM AMNZ21785-1).jpg
Male type
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nepticulidae
Genus: Stigmella
Species:
S. lucida
Binomial name
Stigmella lucida
(Philpott, 1919)
Synonyms [1]
  • Nepticula lucida Philpott, 1919

Stigmella lucida, also known as the silver beech miner moth, is a species of moth of the family Nepticulidae. [2] It was first described by Alfred Philpott. This species is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the North and South Islands. Its preferred habitat is native forest populated with its larval host species Nothofagus menziesii. Larvae of this species mine the leaves of its host plant. Adults are on the wing from September to January.

Contents

Taxonomy

This species was originally described by Alfred Philpott in 1919 and originally named Nepticula lucida. [3] George Hudson used that name when he discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. [4] In 1988 John S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Stigmella. [1] In 1989 Hans Donner and Christopher Wilkinson revised this species and confirmed its placement in that genus. [5] The male holotype, collected at Waitati in Dunedin, [6] is held at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. [1]

Description

Illustration of S. lucida. Fig 20 MA I437908 TePapa Plate-XLVII-The-butterflies full (cropped).jpg
Illustration of S. lucida.

Larvae are about 3 mm (0.12 in) long and pale green. [5]

The cocoon is made of white to pale brown silk and is constructed amidst foliage and branches of the food plant. [5]

Philpott described the adults of this species as follows:

♂♀. 5+1⁄2–6+1⁄2 mm. Head greyish - white. Antennae black. Thorax fuscous. Abdomen black. Legs greyish-black. Forewings in ♂ elongate, rather broad basally, apex broadly rounded, in ♀ lanceolate, shining dark fuscous; a broad outwardly-curved white band at 3⁄5 : cilia fuscous. Hind-wings and cilia dull fuscous-black. [3]

The adult of this species can be distinguished from similar appearing moths as a result of its distinctive white forewing fascia. [5]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. [7] It is found in both the North and South Islands. [5]

Behaviour

The larvae mine the leaves of their host plant, the silver beech. The mine starts close to the midrib near the stem as a narrow gallery. At first, only the lower part of the leaf tissue is eaten, but gradually, as the mine becomes wider, it reaches both cuticular layers. The frass is deposited in the middle of the mine, later filling all space. Larva have been recorded from May to August and in October and November. [5]

Adults are on the wing in January and from September to December. There are one or two generations per year. [5]

Habitat and hosts

Leaves of the larval host Nothofagus menziesii. LophozoniaMenziesiiFoliage.jpg
Leaves of the larval host Nothofagus menziesii.

This species inhabits beech forests containing its larval host species. [4] The larvae feed on Nothofagus menziesii . [5]

Related Research Articles

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Hierodoris frigida is a moth of the family Oecophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is only found in the South Island. This species is found in two parts of that island, the Nelson/Tasman area and the Mackenzie, Otago and Dunedin areas in the southern part of the island. Although similar to H. iophanes this species can be distinguished as H. frigida has white bands on its forewings and the metallic coloured areas differ in placement. Segment 2 on the labial palp is entirely yellow and enables this species to be distinguished from the similar appearing species H. polita and H. torrida. Larvae have been collected amongst leaf litter from beneath species within the genus Thymus. It prefers open and shrubland habitats and adult moths have been observed flying close to the soil underneath Leptospermum scrub.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 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: 54. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN   0111-5383. Wikidata   Q45083134.
  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 Alfred Philpott (1919). "Descriptions of new species of Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 51: 225. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q66764294.
  4. 1 2 Hudson, G. V. (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, pp. 355–356, LCCN   88133764, OCLC   25449322, Wikidata   Q58593286
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Hans Donner; Christopher Wilkinson (28 April 1989). "Nepticulidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera)". Fauna of New Zealand. 16. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research: 27–28. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.16. ISSN   0111-5383. OCLC   924829916. Wikidata   Q45079930.
  6. ↑ Wagner, David L. (1992-01-01). "Fauna of New Zealand. Number 16, Nepticulidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera)". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 85 (1): 105–106. doi:10.1093/aesa/85.1.105. ISSN   1938-2901.
  7. ↑ "Stigmella lucida (Philpott, 1919)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
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