Titanomis

Titanomis
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Unassigned
Genus: Titanomis
Meyrick, 1888
Species: T. sisyrota
Binomial name
Titanomis sisyrota
Synonyms
  • Titonomis Dalla Torre & Strand, 1929

Titanomis is a genus of moth containing a single species Titanomis sisyrota, also known as the Frosted Phoenix. Taxonomists have difficulty placing this moth within an existing superfamily. The species is currently regarded as endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as "Data Deficient" by the Department of Conservation.

Taxonomy and etymology

Titanomis is considered an enigmatic unplaced genus and may require its own family.[2] The genus and species were first described by Edward Meyrick in 1888 using a specimen collected by George Hudson.[3][4]

The location of collection of that specimen was unclear as a result an error made by Meyrick.[4] Hudson, in his 1928 book The Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand, discussed and illustrated this species.[5] There he recorded the holotype being caught in 1882 in Nelson.[5] However the label written by Meyrick stated that the holotype was collected by Hudson on 10 May 1885 in Wellington. John S. Dugdale, in his Annotated Catalogue of New Zealand Lepidoptera, accepted that the type locality of the species was Nelson.[4] The error arose as Meyrick confused the details of the capture of the holotype with the details of its shipment to the United Kingdom.[6] The holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[4]

The genus name is derived from Titan, meaning giant, and anomis, meaning anomalous.[6] It refers to the size and unusual morphology of the group in which the species was originally placed.[6] The epithet is derived from sisyrota, meaning wearing a shaggy garment, and refers to the hairs on the inner margin of the hindwings.[6]

Description

Meyrick described the species as follows:

Female. — 65 mm. Head, palpi, and thorax whitish suffusedly irrorated with dark fuscous (partly defaced). Antennae fuscous. Abdomen rather dark fuscous. Anterior legs dark fuscous, apex of joints obscurely whitish (middle and posterior pair broken). Forewings elongate-oblong, costa gently arched, apex rounded, hindmargin rather oblique, slightly rounded ; rather dark fuscous, irrorated with white except on an irregular posteriorly dilated median longitudinal space ceasing before hindmargin, and somewhat sprinkled with black on veins ; a black streak along submedian fold from near base to beyond middle, interrupted before its apex by a subtriangular white spot : a black longitudinal streak in disc from before middle to about ​4⁄5, interrupted by a small round white spot at ​3⁄5 : cilia rather dark fuscous, barred with white (imperfect). Hindwings and cilia fuscous.[3]

The appearance of this moth may give clues as to its preferred habitat. It has been hypothesised that the whitish border of the wings assists the camouflage of the moth against mottled bark, indicating a possible preference for forest habitat.[6]

Distribution

Waipapa Dam

The species is currently accepted as endemic to New Zealand.[7][1] However this is an extremely rare species with only 10 reliable records.[6] Based on this irregular pattern of occurrences it has been hypothesised that the species may be a sporadic immigrant.[6]

It has been found in the Waikato, Taupo, Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough, Westland and Southland areas.[8] The earliest capture recorded was at Greymouth in December 1874, and other specimens were taken in Nelson at around the same time. Other than the type specimen mentioned above, specimens were also collected in Blenheim in 1883, in Otaki in 1886, again in Nelson in 1898, in Haldane in Southland in 1900, and in Rangataua in 1921. The last collection of this species took place at Waipapa Dam in 1959.[6]

Biology and behaviour

Very little is known of the biology of this species.[8] The adults are on the wing from December until March.[5] They are attracted to light with at least two specimens collected in living rooms and another at the flood lights of Waipapa Dam.[5] It has been hypothesised, based on the living room collections, that the adult moth may be more attracted to weaker or less ultraviolet light sources.[6]

Host species and habitat

The host niche is unknown however based on the morphology of the species it has been hypothesised that the host may be woody branches or stems of living plants, rotten wood, or even a bracket fungus, as females likely insert their eggs into the larval host.[8][6] Beech forest habitat had been located near where many of the specimens have been taken.[8] It has also been hypothesised that larvae of the moth may be associated with rotten podocarp wood as all the collection localities are close to valley floor kahikatea and matai forest.[6] The 1959 collection of this species also occurred near a kanuka forest.[8] It has been hypothesised that this species may be associated with wetland habit.[6] The basis for this theory is that the females of this species come to light more frequently than the males and are therefore more likely to feed on scattered food sources.[6] Species that have this attribute include those that prefer wetland habitat.[6]

Conservation status

This species has been classified as having the "Data Deficient" conservation status under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[9] Unfortunately there has been no record of capture of this species for over 25 years and as such the species is regarded by some as possibly extinct.[8] However other experts regard extinction as not yet proven given the few New Zealand lepidopterists collecting specimens and searching for this species.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 "Titanomis sisyrota Meyrick, 1888". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  2. ↑ Hoare, R.J.B. (2012). "Marvels, mysteries and challenges in the New Zealand Lepidoptera fauna" (PDF). Program and Proceedings of the International Lepidopterists' Conference, Denver, July 23–29, 2012. International Lepidopterists' Conference, Denver, July 23–29, 2012. Denver Museum of Natural History. p. 20. OCLC 827976504. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  3. 1 2 Meyrick, Edward (1888). "Descriptions on New Zealand Tineina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 20: 77–106 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  4. 1 2 3 4 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.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 350. OCLC 25449322.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Hoare, Robert J. B. (2001). "New Zealand's most enigmatic moth - what we know about Titanomys sisyrota" (PDF). DOC Science Internal Series. 5: 1–16. ISBN 0-478-22147-9. ISSN 1175-6519 – via Department of Conservation.
  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. 465. ISBN 9781877257933. OCLC 973607714.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Patrick, B. H.; Dugdale, J. S. (2000). "Conservation status of the New Zealand Lepidoptera" (PDF). Science for Conservation. Department of Conservation, New Zealand. 136: 9, 32. ISSN 1173-2946.
  9. ↑ 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). New Zealand Threat Classification Series. 20: 5.
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