Ichneutica cana

Ichneutica cana
Female
Male
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Ichneutica
Species:	I. cana
Binomial name
Ichneutica cana Howes, 1914[1]
Synonyms[1]
Aletia empyrea Hudson, 1918 Ichneutica homerica Howes, 1943 Ichneutica empyrea (Hudson, 1918)

Ichneutica cana is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand.[1]

Taxonomy

I. cana was first described by George Howes in 1914 from a single male specimen collected in the Garvie Mountains, near Lake Wakatipu in Otago.[2] This species was illustrated and discussed in George Hudson's 1928 book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[3] John S. Dugdale agreed with the placement of this species within the genus Ichneutica in 1988.[4] Robert J. B. Hoare also confirmed the placement of this species within the genus Ichneutica in his major review of New Zealand Noctuidae species in 2019.[1]

Description

Howes originally described the species as follows:

Face grey. Palpi blackish at base. Head and thorax grey, frontal area lighter grey. Head and thorax densely clothed with long dark-grey hair. Thorax broad in proportion to length, with a slight posterior crest. Abdomen grey. Forewings grey, with pale grey lines and occasional darker marks. A single light-grey line at base; a jagged grey line about 1⁄5, strongly dentate near dorsum; outwardly suffused with dark grey. Orbicular faintly shown in light grey, and separated from reniform by a distinct dark-grey patch. Reniform faintly outlined in light grey. A jagged light-grey line at 3⁄4, bending towards termen until centre of wing, then inwards before reaching dorsum. Terminal edge margined with light grey, edged basally with a dark suffusion, which forms a faintly defined line; slight grey marks along veins where they reach termen. Cilia short, light grey and dark grey alternate patches. Hindwings light grey with a faint ochreous tinge, a darker band across wing at J and a slightly waved subterminal band. Terminal edge and cilia grey-white. Underside grey with a faint ochreous tinge and a well-defined irregular dark-grey line at about 3⁄4 across both wings.[2]

I. cana is similar in appearance to I. eris but there are visual differences between the two species.[1]

Geographic range

This species is found only in the South Island, in the eastern and southern parts of that Island as well as in Fiordland.[1] Unlike I. eris, I. cana does not appear to be present in the north-west of the South Island.[1]

Habitat

I. cana can be found in alpine habitat.[1]

Life history and host species

The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of its larvae.[1]

Behaviour

The adults of this species are on the wing during December and January.[1] The males of this species are on the wing during sunny days, and both sexes are attracted to light.[1]

References

1. Hoare, Robert J. B. (9 December 2019). "Noctuinae (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) part 2: Nivetica, Ichneutica". Fauna of New Zealand. 80: 1–455. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.80.
2. George Howes (1914). "XIV. — New Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 46: 95–96. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q104451396.
3. Hudson, George Vernon (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 50.
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: 1–264. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.