| Sestra humeraria | |
|---|---|
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| Male | |
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| Female | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Geometridae |
| Genus: | Sestra |
| Species: | S. humeraria |
| Binomial name | |
| Sestra humeraria (Walker, 1861) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Sestra humeraria, also known as huarau looper, is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. It was described by Francis Walker in 1861. This species is endemic to New Zealand.
Description
The mature larva of this species has a slightly knobbly appearance with a pale brown body marked with darker wavy lines. It is between 25 and 30 mm in length.
Behaviour
When the larvae are touched they drop down to the soil or leaf litter. The larvae can be seen all year but the adult moths are on the wing from October to December.
Host
The larval host of this species is the fern Hypolepis millefolium. The larvae feed on the fronds of their host.
References
- ^ "Sestra humeraria (Walker, 1861)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
- ^ Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 169. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
- Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 458. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
- ^ Andrew Crowe (2004). Life-Size Guide to New Zealand Native Ferns: Featuring the unique caterpillars which feed on them. p. 25. ISBN 0-14-301924-4. Wikidata Q115211440.
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Sestra humeraria | |
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