Zealandopterix zonodoxa

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Zealandopterix zonodoxa
Zealandopterix zonodoxa 252863549.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Micropterigidae
Genus: Zealandopterix
Species:
Z. zonodoxa
Binomial name
Zealandopterix zonodoxa
(Meyrick, 1888) [1]
Synonyms [1]
  • Palaeomicra zonodoxaMeyrick, 1888
  • Sabatinca zonodoxa(Meyrick, 1888)
  • Sabatinca rosicomaMeyrick, 1914

Zealandopterix zonodoxa is a moth of the family Micropterigidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is located from Hawkes Bay north as well as on Poor Knights, Little Barrier and the Great Barrier Islands. It is the smallest micropterigid in New Zealand and the shiny white markings on the forewing of this species display variation. It is a moth that is active during the day, but has been collected using UV light. Adults are on the wing from September to March and the species has been witnessed visiting the flowers of Nīkau and Cordyline pumilio in large numbers. It inhabits a wide variety of moist indigenous forest but is associated with forests in which podocarps are common. Larvae have been sieved from rotten wood on the floor of a mixed podocarp/broadleaf forest or extracted from moss or from bryophytes.

Contents

Taxonomy

Zealandopterix zonodoxa was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1888 as Palaeomicra zonodoxa using specimens collected in the Waitākere ranges in December. [2] [3] In 1912 Meyrick placed this species within the Sabatinca genus. [4] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under this name in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. [5] In 1988 this placement was also confirmed by J. S. Dugdale in his Catalogue of New Zealand Lepidoptera. [6] In 2010 Gibbs synonymised S. rosicoma, and placed it in the newly created genus Zealandopterix. [7] The lectotype specimen is held in the Natural History Museum in London. [6]

Description

Z. zonodoxa lectotype specimen Zealandopterix zonodoxa lectotype.jpg
Z. zonodoxa lectotype specimen

Meyrick originally described the species as follows:

Male, female. — 7-8 mm. Head ferruginous or pale ochreous. Palpi whitish-ochreous. Antennas pale ochreous, with three more or less perceptible blackish bands. Thorax whitish-yellowish. Abdomen dark grey. Anterior and middle legs whitish-ocbreous, apex of joints black; posterior legs dark grey, apex of joints whitish-ochreous. Forewings oblong, costa abruptly bent near base, thence gently arched, apex acute, hindmargin straight, very oblique ; neuration quite as in P. chalcophanes  ; dark fuscous purple, with bronzy reflections; extreme base whitish-yellowish ; a moderately broad straight whitish-yellowish fascia before middle, generally narrowest above ; a whitish-yellowish dot or small spot on costa about 3⁄4 , variable in size, sometimes absent : cilia dark grey, with a rather large pale whitish-yellowish apical spot. Hindwings dark purple-grey ; cilia dark grey. [3]

In a 2014 publication, this species was described as having a forewing length of 2.6 millimetres (0.10 in) for males and 3 millimetres (0.12 in) for females. The forewing ground colour is dark brownish-black with strong purplish-bronze reflections. There is a maximum of five and a minimum of three shining white fasciae comprising: a short basal triangular streak, which is consistently present, in the centre of the wing, contiguous with the tegula. Secondly, a transverse band at mid-length is evident, either as a continuous broad line or only partly represented in the form of either a bold triangular patch on the dorsum or triangular patches on both the costa and the dorsum. Furthermore, a much smaller costal patch and a few white scales in the apex are present in all specimens. The fringes are long along the termen and largely dark brownish-black, white-tipped and wholly white around the apex. The hindwing is greyish-brown with bronzy-purple reflections. The fringes are grey-brown. [1]

This is the smallest micropterigid in New Zealand. The shiny white markings on the forewing of this species are variable. [8]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. [9] It is found from the northern North Island of New Zealand, from Te Paki south to Puketitri, Hawkes Bay and including Poor Knights, Little Barrier and Great Barrier Islands. [1]

Behaviour

Zealandopterix zonodoxa 6090488 Zealandopterix zonodoxa 6090488.jpg
Zealandopterix zonodoxa 6090488

Z. zonodoxa is a moth that is active during the day and have been seen visiting the flowers of Nīkau and Cordyline pumilio in large numbers. [8] [10] This species has been collected using UV light. [1] Adults develop wings between September and March. [1]

Hosts and habitat

This species inhabits a wide variety of moist indigenous forest types but is associated with forests in which podocarps are common. [7] Larvae have been sieved from rotten wood on the floor of a mixed podocarp/broadleaf forest or extracted from moss or from bryophytes. [1] Adults have been observed feeding on the flowers of Cordyline pumilio . [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>Sabatinca chalcophanes</i> Species of moth

Sabatinca chalcophanes is a moth of the family Micropterigidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the North Island apart from Northland and in the South Island apart from in the east, south of Queen Charlotte Sound. The adults of this species are on the wing from November to April and as a result of this long period it has been hypothesised that this species has two broods. The preferred habitat of this species is in damp lowland forest. The larval host species are foliose liverwort species including Hymenophyton flabellatum.

<i>Sabatinca doroxena</i> Moth species in family Micropterigidae

Sabatinca doroxena is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae. It is endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. This small moth has a colourful forewing pattern with stripes and dots evident. It has been hypothesised that the forewing pattern is intended to resemble a jumping spider in order to allow the adult moth to escape predation. Adults of this species are on the wing from the beginning of September until mid January. It prefers damp but sunny habitat in deep forest, at the forest edge or in open shrubland. Larvae feed on foliose liverwort species including on Heteroscyphus normalis. Adults of this species have been located at the blossoms of flowering Cordyline and Ranunculus species.

<i>Sabatinca ianthina</i> Species of moth

Sabatinca ianthina is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae. It was described by Alfred Philpott in 1921. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species can be found on both the North and the South Islands from the Hawkes Bay down to Westland. The adults of this species are on the wing from the end of September until the middle of December. Although this species resembles Zealandopterix zonodoxa, S. ianthina is a larger moth and the range of the two species only overlaps in White Pine Bush Scenic Reserve in the Hawke’s Bay.

<i>Sabatinca caustica</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Sabatinca caustica is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1912. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in both Southland and at Stewart Island / Rakiura. The adults of this species are variable in appearance with some specimens being mainly white on their forewings while others have forewings that are a more mottled purple-brown colour. Adults are on the wing from the start of October until the middle of December. Larvae feed on the surface of leafy liverworts.

<i>Sabatinca chrysargyra</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Sabatinca chrysargyra is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1886 and is endemic to New Zealand. It can be found from Franz Josef Glacier / Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere south but only on the western side of the South Island. Adults are on the wing from the beginning of October until the middle of January. Larvae likely feed on foliose liverworts and have been found on species in the genus Plagiochila. The adult moths live in a range of habitats preferring sunny open spaces in forests or snow-tussock grasslands that can range in altitude from near sea level up to 1,230 m. This species is very similar in appearance to Sabatinca aemula and dissection of genitalia is required to distinguish between the two species.

<i>Sabatinca quadrijuga</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

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<i>Sabatinca calliarcha</i> Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

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<i>Isonomeutis amauropa</i> Species of moth, endemic to New Zealand

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<i>Mnesarchella hamadelpha</i> Moth species in family Mnesarchaeidae

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Gibbs, G W (30 June 2014). "Micropterigidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera)" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 72: 1–127. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.72 . Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  2. ↑ "Palaeomicra zonodoxa Meyrick, 1888". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2018-01-14.
  3. 1 2 E. Meyrick (1888). "Descriptions of New Zealand Tineina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 20: 77–106. ISSN   1176-6158. Wikidata   Q63125188.
  4. ↑ Edward Meyrick (1912). "Lepidoptera Heterocera: family Micropterigidae". Genera Insectorum. Fasc 132: 1–9. Wikidata   Q109405898.
  5. ↑ George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 368, LCCN   88133764, OCLC   25449322, Wikidata   Q58593286
  6. 1 2 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: 53. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN   0111-5383. Wikidata   Q45083134.
  7. 1 2 George W. Gibbs (2010). "Micropterigidae (Lepidoptera) of the Southwestern Pacific: a revision with the establishment of five new genera from Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand" (PDF). Magnolia Press.
  8. 1 2 Hoare, Robert (2014). A photographic guide to moths & butterflies of New Zealand. Auckland: New Holland Publishers (NZ) Ltd. p. 14. ISBN   9781869663995.
  9. ↑ "Zealandopterix zonodoxa (Meyrick, 1888)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  10. ↑ jacqui-nz (2017-01-22). "Zealandopterix zonodoxa". iNaturalist NZ. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
  11. ↑ Geux, Jacqui (2017-01-22). "Zealandopterix zonodoxa". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
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