Cnephasia paterna

Cnephasia paterna

Nationally Endangered (NZ TCS)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Tortricidae
Genus: Cnephasia
Species: C. paterna
Binomial name
Cnephasia paterna
Philpott, 1926

Cnephasia paterna is a species of moth in the Tortricidae family. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species is classified as Nationally Endangered by the Department of Conservation.

Taxonomy

C. paterna was described by Alfred Philpott in 1926 using a male specimen collected by Stuart Lindsay on the 31 March 1923.[2][3] George Vernon Hudson illustrated the type specimen of the moth in his 1928 publication The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[4] Although the type locality given by Philpott is Little River, evidence suggests that this locality is incorrect.[5] The genus level classification of New Zealand endemic moths within the Cnephasia genus is regarded as unsatisfactory and is under revision.[5] As such the species is currently also known as Cnephasia (s.l.) paterna.[6] The type specimen is held at Canterbury Museum.[5]

Description

Philpott described the species as follows:

21 mm. Head and palpi fuscous mingled with reddish. Antennae dark fuscous, annulated with whitish, swollen at joints, ciliations ​3 1⁄2. Thorax leaden-fuscous. Abdomen greyish-fuscous. Legs ochreous-white mixed with fuscous, anterior pair fuscous, tarsi narrowly annulated with white. Forewings elongate-triangular, costa slightly arched at base, thence straight, apex round-pointed, termen straight, strongly oblique; leaden fuscous, densely strigulated with blackish and with scattered reddish scales; costal fold small, about ​1⁄7; a strong outwardly-oblique fascia from costa at apex of fold, yellow mixed with red; a similarly-coloured fascia, preceded by numerous red scales, from costa before middle, outwardly oblique, parallel-sided, reaching about ​1⁄3 across wing; a yellow-and-red spot on costa before apex; some indefinite white marks on apical area: fringes grey with a reddish basal line. Hindwings grey strigulated with fuscous: fringes whitish-grey.[2]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand[6][7] and has only been found in the South Island.[5] The type specimen remained unique until the species was rediscovered by Brian Patrick on the 28 May 2012 at Saddle Hill, Banks Peninsula.[5][8] This locality remains the only site where this species has been found.[5]

Habitat

The rediscovery of the species occurred on south-eastern slopes at an altitude of 750-800m amongst the snow tussock Chionochloa rigida.[5][9]

Life history and biology

Much information on biology and life cycle of this moth is yet to be discovered and the species has not yet been reared.[5] Patrick hypothesises that the larvae of this species feed in silken tunnels and that they have an annual life-cycle.[5] Adults emerge in the late autumn or early winter.[5] Hudson records the insect being collectable at the end of March.[4] The female of this species is short wings and flightless, which inhibits the dispersal of the species.[5] The male of the species are active during the day and are regarded as fast flyers.[5]

Conservation status

This species has been classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification system as being Nationally Endangered.[1]

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. 30. ISBN 9781988514383.
  2. 1 2 Philpott, Alfred (1926). "New Zealand Lepidoptera: Notes and Descriptions". Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 56: 387–399 – via Papers Past.
  3. ↑ Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera-annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 1–264 – via Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd.
  4. 1 2 Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 244.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Patrick, Brian (2014-12-01). "Conservation status of five data deficient moth taxa: Epichorista lindsayi, "Cnephasia" paterna, Stathmopoda endotherma, Gymnobathra ambigua and Scythris "stripe"". The Weta. 48: 15–34.
  6. 1 2 "Cnephasia paterna Philpott, 1926". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2018-05-03.
  7. ↑ 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. 464. ISBN 9781877257933. OCLC 973607714.
  8. ↑ Hutchison, Melissa (May 2013). "New reserve for Banks Peninsula: Saddle Hill purchased by the Nature Heritage Fund and two Banks Peninsula trusts" (PDF). Trilepidea. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  9. ↑ Scott Hooson (11 March 2015). Christchurch District Plan Site of Ecological Significance: Saddle Hill (PDF) (Report). Christchurch City Council. p. 6. Retrieved 3 May 2018.


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