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Helastia salmoni

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Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Helastia salmoni
Male
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Helastia
Species: H. salmoni
Binomial name
Helastia salmoni
Craw, 1987

Helastia salmoni is a moth of the family Geometridae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and is found only in Fiordland in the South Island. Adults of this species are on the wing in January and are nocturnal and attracted to light. Although similar in appearance to Helastia corcularia, H. salmoni can be distinuished as its forewings are a lighter white-grey. This species was named in honour of John Salmon.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Robin Craw in 1987 using specimens collected at the Homer Tunnel and at Gertrude in Otago. The male holotype, collected at the Homer Tunnel in January by John T. Salmon, is held at Te Papa. This species is named in John Salmon's honour.

Description

Craw described this species as follows:

Medium sized (r.f.l. 12.7-13.2 mm) triangular forewing. Upperside forewing whitish-grey with wavy brown transverse lines. Male antennae bipectinated.

Craw went on to explain that this species can be distinguished from Helastia corcularia as H. salmoni has forewings the upper side of which is coloured white-grey whereas H. corcularia has a darker more slate grey colour.

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is only found in Fiordland in the South Island.

Behaviour

Adults of this species are on the wing in January. They are nocturnal and are attracted to light.

Habitat and hosts

This species inhabits subalpine terrain. Although the life history of this species is poorly known, the larval host plants of this species are likely mosses or herbs or possibly lichens.

References

  1. ^ "Helastia salmoni Craw, 1987". www.nzor.org.nz. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
  2. 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: 180. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  3. ^ R. C. Craw (April 1987). "Revision of the genus Helastia sensu stricto with description of a new genus (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Larentiinae)". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 14 (2): 269–293. doi:10.1080/03014223.1987.10422997. ISSN 0301-4223. Wikidata Q54670161.
  4. "Helastia salmoni Craw, 1987". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. 2024. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  5. Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 459. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  6. ^ Carey Knox (2024). Butterflies & Moths of Aotearoa New Zealand. John Beaufoy Publishing. p. 56. ISBN 978-1-913679-66-8. Wikidata Q130640046.
Taxon identifiers
Helastia salmoni
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