Tingena siderota

Tingena siderota
Female lectotype
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Oecophoridae
Genus: Tingena
Species:
T. siderota
Binomial name
Tingena siderota
(Meyrick, 1888)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Cremnogenes siderota Meyrick, 1888
  • Borkhausenia siderota (Meyrick, 1888)

Tingena siderota is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae.[2] It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed at Mount Arthur, Arthur's Pass and in the Hawkes Bay. The adults of this species are on the wing in January and are said to be abundant on the flowers of species in the genus Aciphylla.

Taxonomy

This species was first described in 1888 by Edward Meyrick using specimens collected on Mount Arthur in January.[3] Meyrick originally named this species Cremnogenes siderota. In 1915 Meyrick placed this species within the Borkhausenia genus.[4] In 1926 Alfred Philpott studied and illustrated the genitalia of the male of this species.[5] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under the name B. siderota in his 1928 publication The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[6] In 1988 Dugdale placed this species in the genus Tingena.[2] The female lectotype is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[2]

Description

Illustration of T. siderota by George Hudson.

Meyrick described this species as follows:

Male, female.—16–18 mm. Head, palpi, antennæ, thorax, abdomen, and legs dark fuscous; collar ferruginous; antennæ in male clothed throughout with scattered cilia (1), with longer fasciculated series (2); patagia with small ochreous-whitish apical spot. Forewings elongate, costa moderately arched, apex obtuse, hindmargin rounded, rather strongly oblique; deep ferruginous, more or less irrorated and suffused with dark grey, especially in male; a small ill-defined yellowish spot on base of inner margin, and another beyond middle, in female much more distinct than in male; two pale leaden-grey-metallic irregular angulated transverse lines, first about 1⁄5, second about 1⁄3, second in female forming a whitish-ochreous triangular spot on costa; a pale leaden-grey-metallic ring in disc beyond middle; a pale leaden-grey-metallic line from costa near before apex to anal angle, slightly bent in middle, extremities forming whitish-ochreous spots, more distinct in female: cilia dark grey, basal half light ferruginous, with a pale yellowish spot beneath anal angle. Hindwings dark fuscous-grey; cilia grey, with a darker basal line.[3]

This species can be distinguished from its close relatives because of its brilliant colour and the leaden-metallic fasciae.[5]

Distribution

Mount Arthur, type locality of T. siderota.

This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed at its type locality of Mount Arthur as well as Arthur's Pass.[1][7] This species has also been observed in the Hawkes Bay.[8] It is regarded as being a rare species.[6]

Behaviour

The adults of this species are on the wing in January.[6]

Habitat

This species has been collected at altitudes of around 4500 ft and is said to be abundant on the flowers of Aciphylla.[3]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tingena siderota.
  1. ^ a b Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 462. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  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: 105. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  3. ^ a b c Meyrick, E. (1888). "Descriptions of New Zealand Tineina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 20: 82. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q63125188.
  4. ^ E. Meyrick (12 July 1915). "Revision of New Zealand Tineina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 47: 213. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q63123349.
  5. ^ a b Alfred Philpott (1926). "List of New Zealand species of Borkhausenia (Oecophoridae: Lepidoptera), including new species". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 56: 399–413. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q110157185.
  6. ^ a b c Hudson, G. V. (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 267, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286
  7. ^ "Tingena siderota". Auckland Museum Collections Online. 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  8. ^ Hawke's Bay Conservancy Conservation Management Strategy 1994 - 2004 Volume 1 (PDF). Department of Conservation. October 1994. ISBN 0-478-01599-2. OL 540108M. Wikidata Q110431000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2019.