Scythris niphozela

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Scythris niphozela
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Scythrididae
Genus: Scythris
Species:
S. niphozela
Binomial name
Scythris niphozela

Scythris niphozela is a species of moth in the family Scythrididae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as "At Risk, Naturally Uncommon" by the Department of Conservation.

Taxonomy[]

This species was originally described by Edward Meyrick in 1931 using specimens collected by at Birding's Flat in December.[2][3] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1939 publication A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[4] The holotype specimen is held at the Canterbury Museum.[3]

Description[]

Meyrick described the species as follows:

♂︎♀︎. 9-10mm - Head, palpi, thorax dark grey, more or less mixed or suffused white. Abdomen iridescent whitish grey, ♂︎ anal tuft tinged ochreous, ♀︎ basal third suffused blackish above, apex blackish beneath. Forewings elongate-lanceolate ; dark grey posteriorly or nearly wholly suffused white ; an irregular fascia of blackish suffusion from dorsum before middle ; not reaching costa ; a slightly narrower suffused blackish fascia from tornus, hardly reaching above middle ; in whiter examples both these may be connected with costa by irregular grey marks ; cilia grey, round apex, more or less suffused white. Hindwings 4 or 5 coincident ; bronze-grey-whitish, apex greyer ; in ♀︎ a thick streak of black suffusion along dorsum from near base to near middle ; cilia light ochreous-grey.[2]

Distribution[]

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[5][1] Other than the type locality of Birdings Flat at Kaitorete Spit,[2] this species has been recorded as being found at Long Valley Ridge in the Manorburn Ecological District, Central Otago in February.[6][7] However S. niphozela is regarded as being endemic to the Kaitorete Spit area.[8]

Biology and life history[]

This species is on the wing in October to December.[4][8]

Host species and habitat[]

Larvae of this species has been found on Carmichaelia appressa, an endemic species of plant at the Kaitorete Spit.[8] The moth inhabits the foredune area of this land formation and is regarded as being endemic to the gravel barrier present there.[8][9]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Scythris niphozela Meyrick, 1931". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2018-05-26.
  2. ^ a b c Meyrick, E. (1931). "Notes on New Zealand Lepidoptera". Records of the Canterbury Museum. 3: 367–369.
  3. ^ a b Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 110 – via Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd.
  4. ^ a b Hudson, G. V. (1939). A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn. p. 459. OCLC 9742724.
  5. ^ Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia : chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 463. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  6. ^ Patrick, Brian (1989). Lepidoptera, Cicadidae, Acrididae of the Manorburn Ecological District (PDF). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Conservation. ISBN 978-0478011449. OCLC 154271965.
  7. ^ Patrick, Brian (1989). "Appendix I of Lepidoptera, Cicadidae, Acrididae of the Manorburn Ecological District" (PDF). www.doc.govt.nz. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d Patrick, B (1994). "Lepidoptera of Kaitorete Spit, Canterbury". New Zealand Entomologist. 17 (1): 52–63. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.580.6402. doi:10.1080/00779962.1994.9721985.
  9. ^ Patrick, Brian (2014). "Conservation status of five data deficient moth taxa: Epichorista lindsayi, "Cnephasia" paterna, Stathmopoda endotherma, Gymnobathra ambigua and Scythris "stripe"". The Weta. 48: 15–35.


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