Tmetolophota unica

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Tmetolophota unica
Tmetolophota unica male.jpg
Male
Tmetolophota unica female.jpg
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Noctuidae
Genus:
Tmetolophota
Species:
T. unica
Binomial name
Tmetolophota unica
(Walker, 1856)
Synonyms
  • Leucania unicaWalker, 1856
  • Ichneutica unica(Walker, 1856)
  • Nonagria juncicolorGuenee, 1856

Tmetolophota unica is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This moth is very similar in appearance to its close relative Tmetolophota phaula .

Contents

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Francis Walker in 1856 using material collected at Waikouaiti by P. Earl and named Leucania unica . [1] [2] In 1868 Achille Guenée, thinking he was describing a new species, named the species Nonagria juncicolor. [2] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under the name Leucania unica both in his 1898 book New Zealand moths and butterflies (Macro-lepidoptera), [3] and his 1928 publication The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. [4] In his 1898 publication Hudson synonymised the name given to the species by Guenée. [2] [3] In 1971 John S. Dugdale transferred all the New Zealand species in the genus Leucania to the genus Tmetolophota. [5] [2] The holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London. [2] In 2019 Robert J. B. Hoare published a paper in which he undertook a major review of New Zealand noctuids. Hoare, having inspected the type material of this species, placed it within the genus Ichneutica. [6]

Description

Edward Meyrick described the species as follows:

Male, female. — 34-35 mm. Head, palpi, antennae, thorax, abdomen, and legs whitish-ochreous, slightly brownish-tinged ; antennae in male moderately bipectinated, pectinations strongly ciliated. Forewings moderately dilated, costa almost straight, apex obtuse, hindmargin waved, somewhat oblique, rounded beneath ; whitish-ochreous, slightly brownish-tinged, sometimes with a few scattered black scales ; first Iine represented by three pairs of obscure black dots ; a posterior curved series of black dots : cilia whitish-ochreous. Hindwings grey, more or less tinged with whitish-ochreous ; cilia pale whitish-ochreous. [7]

This species is very similar in appearance to T. phaula but do not have the dentate antennae in the male of that species. [4]

Distribution

Tussock habitat of T. unica at Waiouru 20130606 OH H1013410 0010.JPG - Flickr - NZ Defence Force.jpg
Tussock habitat of T. unica at Waiouru

This species is endemic to New Zealand. [8] It has been found in the North Island at Waiouru and Ohakune and in the South Island at Blenheim, Raikaia, Quail Island, Dunedin, Lake Wakatipu, Alexandra and Macetown. [7] [4] [9]

Biology and behaviour

The species is on the wing from November to February. [4] It has been collected through sugar trapping. [4] This species is also attracted to light and specimens have been collected through light trapping. [10] It has been shown that artificial warming increases the body size of this moth. [11]

Habitat and host species

This species prefers open tussock habitat. [4] The larvae of this moth are herbivorous and feed on the leaves of grasses including those in the genus Poa . [12] [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Ichneutica</i> Genus of moths, endemic to New Zealand

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<i>Tmetolophota blenheimensis</i> Species of moth

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<i>Ichneutica purdii</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

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<i>Aletia dentata</i> Species of moth

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<i>Aletia fibriata</i> Species of moth

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<i>Aletia argentaria</i> Species of moth

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<i>Nivetica nervosa</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

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<i>Ichneutica ceraunias</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

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<i>Ichneutica dione</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

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References

  1. ↑ Walker, Francis (1856). Gray, John Edward (ed.). List of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Part IX - Noctuidae. London: British Museum (Natural History). Department of Zoology. p. 112.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 1–269. ISBN   978-0477025188 . Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  3. 1 2 Hudson, G. V. (1898). New Zealand moths and butterflies (Macro-lepidoptera). London. p. 12. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.7912. OCLC   727236768 . Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 52. OCLC   25449322.
  5. ↑ Dugdale, J.S. (1971). "Entomology of the Aucklands and other islands south of New Zealand: Lepidoptera, excluding non-crambine Pyralidae" (PDF). Pacific Insects Monograph. 27: 55–172.
  6. ↑ Hoare, Robert J. B. (2019-12-09). "Noctuinae (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) part 2: Nivetica, Ichneutica". Fauna of New Zealand. 80: 1–455. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.80.
  7. 1 2 Meyrick, Edward (1887). "Monograph of New Zealand Noctuina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 19: 3–40 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  8. ↑ "Tmetolophota unica (Walker, 1856)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  9. 1 2 Patrick, H.J.H.; Bowie, M.H.; Fox, B.W.; Patrick, B.H. (2011). "The moths of Quail Island (Otamahua): a faunal comparison of an island under restoration with other sites on Banks Peninsula" (PDF). New Zealand Natural Sciences Journal. 36: 57–72.
  10. ↑ Patrrick, B. H.; Archibald, R. D. (January 1988). "Lepidoptera light-trapped at Owaka, South Otago" (PDF). New Zealand Entomologist. 11 (1): 70–72. doi:10.1080/00779962.1988.9722541. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  11. ↑ Xi, Xinqiang; Yang, Yangheshan; Yang, Xiaocheng; Nylin, Sören; Eisenhauer, Nico; Sun, Shucun (13 November 2017). "Differential responses of body growth to artificial warming between parasitoids and hosts and the consequences for plant seed damage". Scientific Reports. 7 (1): 15472. Bibcode:2017NatSR...715472X. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-15453-y. PMC   5684347 . PMID   29133829.
  12. ↑ "PlantSynz - Invertebrate herbivore biodiversity assessment tool: Database". plant-synz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2018-06-11.


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