Austrocidaria venustatis is a species of moth of the family Geometridae.[3] It endemic to New Zealand and has been collected in Southland. Adults of this species are on the wing in December.
Austrocidaria venustatis | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Male holotype | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Geometridae |
Genus: | Austrocidaria |
Species: | A. venustatis
|
Binomial name | |
Austrocidaria venustatis | |
Synonyms[2] | |
|
Taxonomy
editThis species was first described by John Tenison Salmon in 1946 using a specimen collected at Lake Gunn in the Eglinton Valley in December, 1944.[4][5] Salmon originally named the species Hydriomena venustatis.[4] In 1950 George Hudson described and illustrated this species.[5] In 1988 John S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Austrocidaria.[2] The male holotype is held at Te Papa.[2][6]
Description
editHudson described this species as follows:
The expansion of the wings is about 1+1⁄8 inches (30 mm.). Face yellowish, palpi black. Top of head and thorax with heavy clothing of mixed black, ochreous-green, and red-brown scales. Antennae with strong, broad serrations from about 1⁄5 beyond base to tips. Forewings rather elongate, with apical region somewhat diluted; termen slightly bowed and deeply scalloped; dull green, with numerous very wavy, somewhat confused, black transverse lines; a subapical patch of orange-brick-red; faint, very suffused patches of same colour extending to middle of wing and below disc, a wavy, ochreous-green subterminal line, a rather broad, brighter green terminal band and a terminal series of black crescentic markings; cilia dull pinkish, with blackish subterminal band and faint, irregular bards of black on tips of scallops. Hindwings ochreous, darker towards termen; dorsum with prominent wavy blackish lines becoming obsolete towards disc; termen deeply scalloped, with a conspicuous marginal series of fine, crescentic, black marks; cilia ochreous, tinged with pink, especially towards dorsum; many blackish scales in cilia tending to form bars at apices of the scallops. Abdomen ochreous with back and segmental divisions marked in back; two conspicuous anal tufts.[5]
Hudson recognised that this species was visually similar to Austrocidaria similata but stated that it could be distinguished from that species based on its morphology.[5]
Distribution
editA. venustatis is endemic to New Zealand.[1][7] It has been collected in Southland.[2]
Behaviour
editAdults are on the wing in December.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b "Austrocidaria venustatis (Salmon, 1946)". www.nzor.org.nz. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
- ^ a b c d e John Stewart Dugdale (23 September 1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. 14. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research: 176. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
- ^ Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 458. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
- ^ a b J. T. Salmon (1946). "New Lepidoptera from the Homer-Milford district". Dominion Museum Records in Entomology. 1: 1–11. ISSN 0110-9863. Wikidata Q106122198.
- ^ a b c d George Vernon Hudson (1950), Fragments of New Zealand entomology. - a popular account of all New Zealand cicadas. The natural history of the New Zealand glow-worm. A second supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand and notes on many other native insects., Wellington, pp. 85–86, Wikidata Q107693053
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Hydriomena venustatis". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
- ^ "Austrocidaria venustatis (Salmon, 1946) - Biota of NZ". biotanz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2022-11-12.