Stigmella progonopis

Stigmella progonopis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nepticulidae
Genus:	Stigmella
Species:	S. progonopis
Binomial name
Stigmella progonopis (Meyrick, 1921)
Synonyms
Nepticula progonopisMeyrick, 1921

Stigmella progonopis is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. ^[1] This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1921. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North, South and Stewart Islands. This species inhabits montane to subalpine native forest and shrubland. Larvae are leaf miners and have been recorded from April to August. They feed on Dracophyllum traversii , Dracophyllum longifolium , Dracophyllum menziesii, Dracophyllum latifolium and Gaultheria crassa. Adults are on the wing in January and February and there is one generation per year.

Taxonomy

S. progonopis was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1921 using a specimen collected by George Hudson on the main spur of Mount Arthur at the bush line at 4000 ft and originally named Nepticula progonopis. ^[2] In 1928 George Hudson discussed and illustrated that species under that name in his book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. ^[3] In 1988 John S. Dugdale placed Nepticula ogygia in the genus Stigmella. ^[4] In 1989 Hans Donner and Christopher Wilkinson agreed with this placement in their monograph on New Zealand Nepticulidae. ^[5] This placement was again confirmed in a 2016 revision of the global species placed in the family Nepticulidae. ^[1] The male holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London. ^[4]

Description

S. progonopis larva mining a Dracophyllum latifolium leaf.

The larvae of this species are coloured a pale yellow. ^[5]

Donner and Christopher described the leaf mine of the larva of this species as follows:

Mine: long, linear galleries originating near leaf-base. When the larva reaches the apex of the leaf it crosses a leaf rib and eats its way back towards the egg site. Each mine is visible as a brown streak, and often there are several mines on one leaf. ^[5]

The cocoon is made of brown coloured silk and is placed in between the tightly packed stalks of older leaves on the plant shoot. ^[5]

Meyrick described the adult male of this species as follows:

♂. 6mm. Head deep orange. Antennae dark grey, eye-caps whitish. Thorax dark purple-grey, Abdomen dark grey. Forewings lanceolate; dark purple-grey: cilia grey, toward base mixed with dark purple-grey. Hindwings with frenulum long, simple; dark grey; cilia grey. ^[2]

The female is similar in appearance to the male but is of smaller size. ^[5]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. ^{[6] [7]} Other than its type locality this species has also been observed at Arthur's Pass, ^[8] as well as at localities Fiordland, Otago, Southland and on Stewart Island. ^[5] The mines of this species have been observed on Dracophyllum latifolium in the Waitākere Ranges in the Auckland region. ^[5]

Habitat and hosts

Larval host plant D. traversii.

This species inhabits montane to subalpine native forest and shrubland. ^[5] The larvae are leaf miners and feed on Dracophyllum traversii , Dracophyllum longifolium , Dracophyllum menziesii, Dracophyllum latifolium and Gaultheria crassa . ^{[5] [9]}

Behaviour

Larvae have been recorded from April to August. Adults have been recorded on the wing in January and February. There is one generation per year. ^[5]

References

1. van Nieukerken, Erik; Doorenweerd, Camiel; Hoare, Robert; Davis, Donald (2016-10-31). "Revised classification and catalogue of global Nepticulidae and Opostegidae (Lepidoptera, Nepticuloidea)". ZooKeys (628): 65–246. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.628.9799 . ISSN   1313-2970. PMC   5126388 . PMID   27917038.
2. Edward Meyrick (31 August 1921). "Notes and Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 53: 336. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q110932717. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
3. Hudson, G. V. (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 356, LCCN   88133764, OCLC   25449322, Wikidata   Q58593286 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
4. 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.
5. Hans Donner; Christopher Wilkinson (28 April 1989). "Nepticulidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera)". Fauna of New Zealand. 16. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research: 33. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.16. ISSN   0111-5383. OCLC   924829916. Wikidata   Q45079930.
6. 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.
7. "Stigmella progonopis (Meyrick, 1921)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2018-07-14.
8. George Vernon Hudson (1939), A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 469, OCLC   9742724, Wikidata   Q109420935
9. Brian H. Patrick (1991). "Insects of the Dansey Ecological District" (PDF). Science & Research Series. 32: 1–25. ISSN   0113-3713. OCLC   154612987. Wikidata   Q110318301. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 December 2021.