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Sabatinca quadrijuga

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Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Sabatinca quadrijuga
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Micropterigidae
Genus: Sabatinca
Species: S. quadrijuga
Binomial name
Sabatinca quadrijuga
Meyrick, 1912

Sabatinca quadrijuga is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the Dunedin area and in Southland. The range of S. quadrijuga overlaps with the range of S. caustica. S. quadrijuga was first scientifically described by Edward Meyrick in 1912. As a result of its predominantly black forewings this species looks similar to a small caddisfly. The adults of this species are on the wing from September to November. Larvae feed on leafy liverwort species and the adults likely feed on fern spores or sedge pollen. The species prefers to live in well lit but damp mossy habitats. The nearest relative of S. quadrijuga is S. aurantissima.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1912 using a specimen collected by Alfred Philpott in Invercargill. In 1928 George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. The holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.

Description

Illustration of S. quadrijuga by George Hudson.

Meyrick described the species as follows:

♂. 13 millimetres (0.51 in). Head pale greyish. Antennae dark fuscous. Thorax purplish. Abdomen grey, lateral claspers and supraanal projection longer and narrower than in caustica. Forewings ovate-lanceolate, less acute than in caustica, stalk of 7 and 8 extremely short; deep purple, irregularly mixed with coppery-golden, darker and bluish on costa; four subquadrate ochreous-whitish spots on costa between base and 3⁄4, larger anteriorly, and a dot towards apex: cilia grey-whitish, with several dark grey bars. Hindwings violet-grey, darker towards apex; cilia grey-whitish, on costa barred with grey suffusion.

The forewings of S. quadrijuga are predominantly black, and this ensures it looks similar to a small black caddisfly. The nearest relative of S. quadrijuga is S. aurantissima.

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is found in Dunedin area and in Southland. The range of S. quadrijuga overlaps with the range of S. caustica.

Behaviour

The adults of this species are on the wing from September to November.

Host species and habitat

The larvae of this species feeds on foliose liverwort species and the adults likely feed on fern spores or sedge pollen. Adults are known to fly close to the ground and prefer well lit damp mossy habitats. Hudson observed that adults of this species had been seen on bare ground under trees such as Dacrycarpus dacrydioides.

References

  1. ^ George Gibbs (30 June 2014). "Micropterigidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera)" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 72. Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.72. ISSN 0111-5383. OCLC 917549814. Wikidata Q44902221. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 February 2021.
  2. ^ Edward Meyrick (10 June 1912). "Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 44: 126. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q109393380.
  3. ^ Hudson, G. V. (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 369, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286
  4. 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: 52. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  5. Sandra R Schachat; Richard L Brown (26 May 2016). "Forewing color pattern in Micropterigidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera): homologies between contrast boundaries, and a revised hypothesis for the origin of symmetry systems". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 16 (1): 116. doi:10.1186/S12862-016-0687-Z. ISSN 1471-2148. PMC 4880886. PMID 27230100. Wikidata Q28602191.
  6. "Sabatinca quadrijuga Meyrick, 1912". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  7. Glime, Janice M. (2017). "Chapter 12: Terrestrial Insects: Holometabola – Lepidoptera: Micropterigoidea – Gelechioidea". Bryophyte Ecology. Vol. 2. Michigan Technological University.
Taxon identifiers
Sabatinca quadrijuga
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