Asaphodes imperfecta

Asaphodes imperfecta
Male

Nationally Critical (NZ TCS)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Asaphodes
Species: A. imperfecta
Binomial name
Asaphodes imperfecta
(Philpott, 1905)[2]
Synonyms
  • Xanthorhoe imperfecta Philpott, 1905
  • Larentia imperfecta (Philpott, 1905)

Asaphodes imperfecta is a moth in the Geometridae family. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as critically endangered by the Department of Conservation.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1905 as Xanthorhoe imperfecta.[3][4] Philpott used specimens he collected in the West Plains suburb of Invercargill.[4] In 1971 John S. Dugdale assigned Xanthorhoe imperfecta to the genus Asaphodes.[5]

Description

Philpott described A. imperfecta as follows:

29 mm. Head, thorax, and abdomen brownish-ochreous. Fore wings ochreous, in male often reddish on costa and about apex. The usual lines are in the male reduced to irregular blackish costal spots ; in the female these costal spots give rise to very faint transverse waved lines. White spots follow most of the dark costal spots, and there is a fairly conspicuous pair at ​2⁄3 ; cilia ochreous, barred with blackish. Hind wings ochreous ; cilia greyish-ochreous mixed with darker.

Nearest to X. ceyrota, but easily distinguished by the brighter ground-colour and the white costal spots.[4]

Distribution

A. imperfecta is endemic to New Zealand.[2][6] The species was regarded as being rare and local to the southern part of the South Island.[7] It is now regarded as being locally extinct in its type locality of Invercargill.[8] George Vernon Hudson mentions that it was also present in Dunedin.[7]

Ecology and habitat

Adult moths had been collected in forest[8] and Hudson stated the species preferred low lying swampy forest habitat.[7] Hudson also stated that adult moths were on the wing in December and January.[7]

Host plants

The host plants of this species are unknown.[9]

Conservation status

This moth is classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification system as being Nationally Critical.[1] It has been hypothesised that this species is under threat as a likely result of habitat loss, given the drying out of ecosystems as a result of wetland drainage which in turn ensures the land no longer supports the plants the species lives on in its larvae stage.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 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.
  2. 1 2 "Asaphodes imperfecta (Philpott, 1905)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  3. ↑ Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 173. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 Philpott, Alfred (1905). "On some new species of Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 37: 328–333 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  5. ↑ Dugdale, J. S. (10 November 1971). "Entomology of the Aucklands and other Islands south of New Zealand: Lepidoptera, excluding non-Crambine Pyralidae" (PDF). Pacific Insects Monograph. 27: 55–172 – via Bishop Museum.
  6. ↑ Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity. Volume two. Kingdom animalia : chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. Christchurch, N.Z.: Canterbury University Press. p. 459. ISBN 9781877257933. OCLC 973607714.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 121.
  8. 1 2 Patrick, Brian H. (2017). "Ecology and conservation of the rare moth Asaphodes frivola Meyrick". The Weta. 47: 17–38. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  9. ↑ Patrick, Brian; Dugdale, John S. (2000). Conservation status of the New Zealand Lepidoptera (PDF). Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Conservation. p. 20. ISBN 0478218672.
  10. ↑ Brian, Patrick (2000). Conservation status of two rare New Zealand geometrid moths (PDF). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Conservation. ISBN 0478219466. OCLC 54078998.


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