Heterocrossa morbida is a moth of the Carposinidae family.[3] It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1912 and is endemic to New Zealand. This species has been observed in both the North and South Islands. Adults are on the wing from August until February and are said to frequent clumps of Hoheria lyallii.
| Heterocrossa morbida | |
|---|---|
| |
| Male holotype | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Carposinidae |
| Genus: | Heterocrossa |
| Species: | H. morbida
|
| Binomial name | |
| Heterocrossa morbida | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Taxonomy
editThis species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1912 using a male specimen collected by George Hudson on the banks of the Routeburn at the head of Lake Wakatipu in February and named Carposina morbida.[4][5] Hudson, in his 1928 publication The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand, discussed this species under that name.[5] Alfred Philpott studied the male genitalia of this species in 1928.[6] In 1978 Elwood Zimmerman argued that the genus Heterocrassa should not be a synonym of Carposina as the genitalia of the species within the genus Heterocrassa are distinctive.[7] In 1988 John S. Dugdale assigned the species to the genus Heterocrossa.[1] The holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[1]
Description
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Meyrick described H. morbida as follows:
♂. 26 mm. Head ochreous-whitish. Palpi 2+1⁄2, porrected, ochreous-whitish, basal half suffused with dark olive-grey. Antennal ciliations 4. Thorax ochreous-whitish, shoulders with an ochreous spot. Abdomen ochreous-whitish. Forewings elongate, rather narrow, posteriorly somewhat dilated, costa gently arched, apex obtuse, termen straight, rather oblique; silvery-whitish-ochreous, irregularly strewn with ochreous scales, costa and dorsum somewhat sprinkled with grey; a small brownish-ochreous basal patch, edge parallel to termen; six small shots of grey suffusion on costa between this and apex; tufts brownish-ochreous, posteriorly white—viz., one beneath costa at 1⁄3, preceded by a dash of black irroration, one beneath this towards dorsum, a larger one in disc beyond these, preceded by a black dash on submedian fold, two towards costa in and beyond middle edged with black beneath, one below middle edged with black above, and a ridge on transverse vein, irregularly edged with black anteriorly, between these in middle of disc is an elongate patch of grey suffusion; some scattered black irroration crossing wing at 5⁄6; cilia whitish, with two greyish shades. Hindwings and cilia whitish. Under-surface of forewings and hindwings largely clothed on anterior half with modified pale yellow-ochreous scales, on forewings anteriorly suffused with grey.[4]
Meyrick pointed out that the male of this species is only likely to be confused with H. exochana but differs, as the males of this latter species have much longer porrected palpi.[4]
Distribution
editH. morbida is endemic to New Zealand.[2] Other than the type locality, this species has been observed in the Auckland and Wellington regions in the North Island, and at Mount Hutt, Arthur's Pass, the Homer tunnel area and Waiho Gorge in the South Island.[8][9][10]
Behaviour
edit
Hudson stated that the adults frequent clumps of Hoheria lyallii.[5] Adults have been observed on the wing from August until February.[8][4]
References
edit
- ^ a b c 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: 131. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
- ^ a b "Heterocrossa morbida (Meyrick, 1912)". www.nzor.org.nz. Retrieved 2022-05-05.
- ^ Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 457. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
- ^ a b c d Edward Meyrick (10 June 1912). "Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 44: 120. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q109393380.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b c George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 218, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Philpott, Alfred (1928). "The male genitalia of the New Zealand Carposinidae" (PDF). Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 59: 476–480.
- ^ Zimmerman, Elwood (1978). Insects of Hawaii. Vol. 9. Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press. p. 797. hdl:10125/7338. ISBN 9780824804879.
- ^ a b Alan Emmerson; Robert Hoare (28 October 2019). "Lepidoptera from Redvale, Albany, north of Auckland, New Zealand, 2004-2016: an annotated list". The Wētā. 53: 43–70. ISSN 0111-7696. Wikidata Q105342215.
- ^ George Vernon Hudson (1939), A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 454, OCLC 9742724, Wikidata Q109420935
- ^ W George Howes (September 1946). "Lepidoptera collecting at the Homer, with descriptions of new species". Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 76: 139–147. ISSN 1176-6166. Wikidata Q62091906.
