Trachypepla galaxias

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Trachypepla galaxias
Trachypepla galaxias 167870280.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Oecophoridae
Genus: Trachypepla
Species:
T. galaxias
Binomial name
Trachypepla galaxias
Meyrick, 1883 [1]

Trachypepla galaxias is a moth of the family Oecophoridae first described by Edward Meyrick in 1883. [1] It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found throughout the country. This species inhabits native forest. The life history of this species is currently unknown. Adults are on the wing from October to February, are nocturnal and are attracted to light.

Contents

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1883 and named Trachypepla galaxias using specimens collected at Hamilton, Wellington and at the Bealey River. [2] Later that same year Meyrick gave another abbreviated description of the species. [3] In 1884 Meyrick gave a much fuller description of T. galaxias. [4] In 1928 George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. [5] The male lectotype, collected in heath-like scrub and swamp in Hamilton, is held at the Natural History Museum, London. [6]

Description

Illustration by George Hudson. Fig 28 MA I437892 TePapa Plate-XXXI-The-butterflies full (cropped).jpg
Illustration by George Hudson.

Meyrick described this species as follows:

Male, female.— 14-16 mm. Head white. Palpi white, second joint externally dark fuscous, except towards apex, apex of terminal joint blackish. Antenna grey. Thorax dark grey, irregularly mixed with white. Abdomen grey. Legs dark fuscous, middle tibiae with whitish central and apical wings, posterior tibiae grey- whitish, all tarsi with whitish rings at apex of joints. Forewings elongate, costa moderately arched, apex rounded, hindmargin very obliquely rounded ; white, with a few scattered grey scales ; a small dark fuscous spot at base of costa ; a dark grey transverse band near base, its inner edge more or less near to base and suffused into ground-colour, outer edge extending from 1⁄4 of costa to 1⁄3 of inner margin, edged with blackish and almost rectangularly angulated outwards in middle, preceded by a black tuft of raised scales above and below middle, between which are some ferruginous scales ; a triangular dark grey patch on costa about middle, its apex touching a ferruginous irregularly blackish-margined spot in disc, and connected with inner margin beyond middle by a twice strongly dentate blackish line ; a suffused grey spot on costa at 3⁄4 another on middle of hindmargin , and sometimes a larger one on inner margin before anal angle, sometimes all partially confluent ; a slender cloudy blackish transverse line from costal spot to anal angle, irregularly sinuate, and strongly dentate inwards beneath costa : cilia whitish, with two cloudy dark grey lines. Hindwings grey, apex and hindmargin darker ; cilia grey- whitish, with a faint darker line. [4]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand and can be found throughout the country. [7] [8]

Behaviour

The adult moths of T. galaxias are on the wing from October to February. [8] They are nocturnal and are attracted to light. [8]

Habitat and hosts

The species inhabits native forest. [8] As at 2014 the life history of this species is unknown, however the larvae of a related species, T. contritella, feed and pupates on lichen species in the genus Usnea. [8] It has been hypothesised that the larvae of this species does similar. [8]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Trachypepla euryleucota</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Trachypepla euryleucota is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found throughout the country. They inhabit native forest and the larvae are leaf litter feeders and have also been found feeding on and in bird nests. Adults are on the wing from December to March, are nocturnal and are attracted to light. During the daylight hours they can be sometimes be observed resting on walls or fences. It has been hypothesised that the adults resemble an opening manuka flower bud or bird droppings in order to camouflage themselves from predators. The raised tufts on their forewings possibly also assist with camouflaging this moth when they rest on lichen.

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<i>Tingena chrysogramma</i> Species of moth, endemic to New Zealand

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<i>Tingena crotala</i> Species of moth, endemic to New Zealand

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<i>Tingena hemimochla</i> Species of moth, endemic to New Zealand

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<i>Tingena hoplodesma</i> Species of moth, endemic to New Zealand

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<i>Tingena horaea</i> Species of moth, endemic to New Zealand

Tingena horaea is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and have been observed in both the North and South Islands. The adults are on the wing in January.

<i>Tingena macarella</i> Species of moth, endemic to New Zealand

Tingena macarella is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found on both the North and South Islands. Adults of this species are on the wing from November until February. This species is attracted to light and the larvae are litter feeders.

<i>Tingena oporaea</i> Species of moth, endemic to New Zealand

Tingena oporaea is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in Canterbury. The perferred habitat of this species is native beech forest at altitudes of 2500 ft however it has also been collected in tussock grassland. The larvae of this species are leaf litter feeders and the adults are on the wing in January and February.

<i>Tingena oxyina</i> Species of moth, endemic to New Zealand

Tingena oxyina is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the Otago region. This species inhabits native beech forest at altitudes of between 1000 - 3000 ft. Adults of this species are on the wing in January.

<i>Trachypepla anastrella</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Trachypepla anastrella is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North and South Islands. Larvae are leaf litter feeders from the host plant Olearia fragrantissima and adults are on the wing from December until March.

<i>Trachypepla aspidephora</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Trachypepla aspidephora is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North and South Islands. Adults are on the wing from November to March and are attracted to light. The moths can be found resting on tree trunks where their colouration imitates lichens.

<i>Trachypepla hieropis</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Trachypepla hieropis is a moth of the family Oecophoridae first described by Edward Meyrick in 1892. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been collected in both the North and South Islands. This species inhabits native forest and the larvae feed on leaf litter. Adults are on the wing in December and are attracted to light.

<i>Trachypepla leucoplanetis</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Trachypepla leucoplanetis is a moth of the family Oecophoridae first described by Edward Meyrick in 1883. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been collected in both the North and South Islands. It is the smallest moth species in the genus Trachypepla and the patterns on the forewings of adults are variable in appearance. It inhabits native forest and bush and the larvae feed on leaf litter. Adults are on the wing from October until February. T. leucoplanetis is regarded as being rarely observed and has been collected via the beating of foliage.

<i>Trachypepla lichenodes</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Trachypepla lichenodes is a moth of the family Oecophoridae first described by Edward Meyrick in 1883. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been found in both the North and South Islands. It inhabits native forest and adults of this species are on the wing from November to January. The adult moths are similarly coloured to native lichen species however this colouration is variable in the extent and depth on the forewings.

<i>Trachypepla photinella</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Trachypepla photinella is a moth of the family Oecophoridae first described by Edward Meyrick in 1883. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been collected in Wellington, Wainuiomata, D'Urville Island and Christchurch. The preferred habitat of this species is native forest and adults are on the wing from December until February.

<i>Trachypepla protochlora</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Trachypepla protochlora is a moth of the family Oecophoridae first described by Edward Meyrick in 1883. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in both the North and South Islands. The preferred habitat of this species is native forest and adults are on the wing from October until February. Adults can be variable in their green shaded colour as well as in the intensity of markings on their forewings. The greenish ground colouration of this moth ensures they are well camouflaged when at rest on green mosses and lichens.

<i>Trachypepla spartodeta</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Trachypepla spartodeta is a moth of the family Oecophoridae first described by Edward Meyrick in 1883. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been collected in both the North and South Islands. This species inhabits native forest and adults are on the wing from November to January.

References

  1. 1 2 Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia : chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 462. ISBN   978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC   973607714. OL   25288394M. Wikidata   Q45922947.
  2. ↑ Edward Meyrick (1883). "Descriptions of New Zealand Microlepidoptera. III. Oecophoridae. [Abstract]". New Zealand Journal of Science. 1: 522. Wikidata   Q111018380.
  3. ↑ Edward Meyrick (1883). "Descriptions of Australian Microlepidoptera. IX. Oecophoridae (continued)". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 8: 369. doi:10.5962/BHL.PART.28660. ISSN   0370-047X. Wikidata   Q112106969.
  4. 1 2 Edward Meyrick (1884). "Descriptions of New Zealand Microlepidoptera. III. Oecophoridae". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 16: 17–18. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q63976486.
  5. ↑ George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington, p. 284, OCLC   25449322, Wikidata   Q58593286
  6. ↑ John Stewart Dugdale (23 September 1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. 14: 106. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN   0111-5383. Wikidata   Q45083134.
  7. ↑ "Trachypepla galaxias Meyrick, 1883". www.nzor.org.nz. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hoare, Robert J. B. (2014). A photographic guide to moths & butterflies of New Zealand. Olivier Ball. Auckland. p. 34. ISBN   978-1-86966-399-5. OCLC   891672034.
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