Erechthias exospila

Erechthias exospila
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Tineidae
Genus: Erechthias
Species:
E. exospila
Binomial name
Erechthias exospila
(Meyrick, 1901)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Ereunetis exospila Meyrick, 1901

Erechthias exospila is a species of moth of the family Tineidae.[3] It was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1901. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found in the North Island as well as the Poor Knights and D'Urville Islands. This species inhabits native forest. Larvae of species in the genus Erechthias feed on dead plant debris or the tough leaves of plants such as palms. E. exospila frequents the dead leaves of Astelia. Adults have been observed in November and February. Specimens of this species have been collected via malaise trap and beating shrubs.

Taxonomy

This was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1901 using one specimen he collected at Whangārei Heads in December and originally named Ereunetis exospila.[4][2] In 1914 Meyrick assigned this species to the genus Erechthias.[5] Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[6] In 1988 John S. Dugdale confirmed the placement of this species in the genus Erechthias.[2] The male holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[2]

Description

Illustration by Hudson.

Meyrick described this species as follows:

♂. 12 mm. Head whitish-ochreous, between antennas infuscated. Palpi whitish-ochreous, externally partially infuscated. Antennae whitish-ochreous, ringed with fuscous. Thorax ochreous. Abdomen pale whitish-ochreous. Forewings elongate-lanceolate ; brownish-ochreous ; a white costal streak from base, separating at 2⁄3 into two branches which run to termen in middle and below apex, and partially confluent towards base with a straight white streak from base of costa to termen above tornus ; a round black apical spot, partly in cilia, preceded by a fine black bar in costal cilia and surmounted by two diverging fuscous bars, cilia otherwise ochreous-whitish, with two fuscous bars below apex. Hindwings and cilia pale whitish-ochreous.[4]

The coloration of this moth resembles that of other species associated with dead leaves of Astelia (for example Amphixystis hapsimacha and Prothinodes grammocosma), and is highly protective.[7]

Distribution

It is endemic to New Zealand.[1] This species has been observed in the North Island and at the Poor Knights Islands as well as Rangitoto ki te Tonga / D'Urville Island.[6][8][7]

Habitat and hosts

Live specimen of E. exospila.

This species inhabits native forest.[6] Larvae of species in the genus Erechthias feed on dead plant debris or the tough leaves of plants such as palms.[9] E. exospila frequents the dead leaves of Astelia.[7]

Behaviour

Adults of this species has been observed in November to February.[6][10] Adults have been collected via malaise trap and beating shrubs.[8][11]

References

  1. ^ a b "Erechthias exospila (Meyrick, 1901)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d 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: 61. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  3. ^ Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 464. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  4. ^ a b Edward Meyrick (December 1901). "XVII. Descriptions of New Lepidoptera from New Zealand". Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London. 49 (4): 577. doi:10.1111/J.1365-2311.1901.TB01373.X. ISSN 0035-8894. Wikidata Q56158899. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ^ E. Meyrick (12 July 1915). "Revision of New Zealand Tineina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 47: 233. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q63123349.
  6. ^ a b c d Hudson, G. V. (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 335, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. ^ a b c George Vernon Hudson (1939), A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 463, OCLC 9742724, Wikidata Q109420935 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  8. ^ a b J. Charles Watt (September 1982). "Terrestrial arthropods from the Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 12 (3): 308. doi:10.1080/03036758.1982.10415350. ISSN 0303-6758. Wikidata Q54574800.
  9. ^ Dong-June Lee; Bong-Woo Lee; Young-Min Shin; Tak-Gi Lee; Yeong-Bin Cha; Yang-Seop Bae (December 2020). "A review of the genus Erechthias Meyrick (Lepidoptera, Tineidae), with two newly recorded species from Korea". Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity. 13 (4): 625–630. doi:10.1016/J.JAPB.2020.10.005. ISSN 2287-884X. Wikidata Q131613958.
  10. ^ "Erechthias exospila". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
  11. ^ S. C. Patterson (1930). "List of Lepidoptera of Whangarei". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 61: 561. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q110876310.
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