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Mallobathra aphrosticha

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Species of moth

Mallobathra aphrosticha
Male lectotype
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Psychidae
Genus: Mallobathra
Species: M. aphrosticha
Binomial name
Mallobathra aphrosticha
Meyrick, 1912
Synonyms
  • Talepora aphrostcha Meyrick, 1912
  • Talepora aphrosticha Meyrick, 1912

Mallobathra aphrosticha is a moth of the family Psychidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been collected in Fiordland, Otago and Southland. The adults are on the wing in December and the female is semi-apterous.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1912 and named Telapora aphrostcha, a misspelling in the original publication. He used specimens collected by Alfred Philpott at Hump Ridge in Fiordland at an altitude of 3500 ft. Not long after publication, the spelling of aphrosticha was used in scientific literature to refer to this species. Dugdale discussed this misspelling stating that the appropriate spelling of the species name is aphrositcha as indicated by Mayrick's handwriting on a specimen label. In 1971 this species was placed within the genus Mallobathra. This name was confirmed by the New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity.

Description

Illustration of a male M. aphrosticha by George Hudson.

Meyrick described the adults of this species as follows:

♂ 22 mm. Head, palpi, and antennae dark fuscous, antennal ciliations 2+1⁄2. Thorax dark fuscous, with several whitish dots posteriorly. Abdomen dark grey, somewhat whitish-mixed. Forewings elongate, rather narrow at base, posteriorly dilated, costa gently arched, apex obtuse, termen obliquely rounded ; all veins separate ; white, mixed with grey in disc and towards costa, coarsely reticulated throughout with dark fuscous ; the white colour forms a more conspicuous quadrate spot on dorsum before middle, including a dark - fuscous dorsal strigula, and preceded and followed by irregular dark-fuscous spots : cilia fuscous, basal half spotted with white. Hindwings dark grey ; cilia fuscous. ♀ apterous, active.

The female of this species is semi-apterous.

Distribution

Hump Ridge Track, type locality of M. aphrosticha.

This species is endemic to New Zealand. It has been collected in Fiordland, Otago and Southland.

Behaviour

This species is on the wing in December.

References

  1. ^ 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.
  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: 68. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  3. ^ Edward Meyrick (10 June 1912). "Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 44: 123. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q109393380.
  4. ^ George Vernon Hudson (1912). "Notes on semi-apterous females in certain species of Lepidoptera, with an attempted explanation". Entomologist's Monthly Magazine. 48: 271. ISSN 0013-8908. Wikidata Q110093593.
  5. ^ Dugdale, J. S. (10 November 1971). "Entomology of the Aucklands and other islands south of New Zealand: Lepidoptera, excluding non-crambine Pyralidae". Pacific Insects Monographs. 27: 139. ISSN 0078-7515. Wikidata Q64006453.
  6. Alfred Philpott (1917). "A list of the Lepidoptera of Otago". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 49: 271. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q63958657.
  7. "Mallobathra aphrosticha". Auckland Museum Collections Online. 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
Taxon identifiers
Mallobathra aphrosticha
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