Species of moth
Orocrambus sophronellus is a moth in the family Crambidae . This species is endemic to New Zealand . This species has been classified as Data Deficient by the Department of Conservation .
Taxonomy
This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1885,[ 3] from a specimen given to him by Richard William Fereday .[ 4] Meyrick named the species Crambus sophronellus .[ 2] [ 3] Meyrick gave a more detailed description of the species later that year.[ 4] In 1928 George Vernon Hudson also described and illustrated the species.[ 5] In 1975 David E. Gaskin placed the species in the genus Orocrambus .[ 6] Gaskin argues that Hudsons illustration in his 1928 book is actually of the species O. cyclopicus .[ 6] The type locality of the specimen is uncertain but is possibly Canterbury .[ 3] The type specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London .[ 2]
Description
Meyrick described the species as follows:
Female. — 19 mm. Head and thorax ochreous-white, coarsely irrorated with greyish-fuscous. Palpi long, whitish, externally irrorated with grey. Antennae grey. Abdomen whitish, irrorated with grey. Legs grey-whitish. Forewings elongate, tolerably oblong, costa hardly arched, apex round-pointed, hindmargin straight, rather strongly oblique ; greyish-fuscous, densely irrorated with white, and with a few black scales : cilia whitish-grey mixed with white, base white. Hindwings light fuscous-grey, towards hindmargin darker ; cilia grey- whitish.[ 4]
Distribution
This species is endemic to New Zealand .[ 1] [ 7] It has been recorded in Taparewa near Nelson ,[ 5] the Mackenzie Basin ,[ 8] and Central Otago .[ 6] It is possibly also present in Canterbury .[ 6]
Life cycle and behaviour
Adult moths have been recorded on wing in March.[ 6] The species is attracted to light.[ 5]
Habitat
O. sophronellus is thought to occur in short tussock grasslands.[ 9]
Host species
O. sophronellus is associated with Carex muelleri .[ 10]
Conservation status
This moth is classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification system as being Data Deficient.[ 11]
References
^ a b "Orocrambus sophronellus (Meyrick, 1885)" . www.nzor.org.nz . Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 22 January 2018 .
^ a b c Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF) . Fauna of New Zealand . 14 : 149. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2018 .
^ a b c Meyrick, Edward (1885). "Description of New Zealand Microlepidoptera. V [VI]. Pyralidina [abstract]" . New Zealand Journal of Science . 2 : 346– 348 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
^ a b c Meyrick, Edward (1885). "Descriptions of New Zealand Microlepidoptera. VI. Pyralidina" . Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute . 17 : 121– 140 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
^ a b c Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand . Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 169.
^ a b c d e Gaskin, D. E. (10 March 1975). "Revision of the New Zealand Crambini (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae: Crambinae)". New Zealand Journal of Zoology . 2 (3): 265– 363. doi :10.1080/03014223.1975.9517878 .
^ Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils . Vol. 2. p. 457. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3 . OCLC 973607714 . OL 25288394M . Wikidata Q45922947 .
^ Head, Nicholas John (4 October 2016). "Statement of evidence of Nicholas John Head for the Director-General of Conservation" . www.ecan.govt.nz . Retrieved 5 May 2018 .
^ Pawson, Stephen M; Emberson, Rowan M (2000). The conservation status of invertebrates in Canterbury (Report). Lincoln University. hdl :10182/1658 .
^ "Nevis Red Tussock Fen" . www.orc.govt.nz . Otago Regional Council. Retrieved 6 May 2018 .
^ Hoare, R.J.B.; Dugdale, J.S.; Edwards, E.D.; Gibbs, G.W.; Patrick, B.H.; Hitchmough, R.A.; Rolfe, J.R. (2017). Conservation status of New Zealand butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera), 2015 (PDF) . Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Department of Conservation. p. 5. ISBN 9781988514383 .
External links