Glaucocharis bipunctella

Glaucocharis bipunctella is a moth in the family Crambidae.[1] It was described by Francis Walker in 1866. This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been found in the Auckland region, in the southern parts of the North Island and in the Nelson region. It inhabits dense native forest. Larvae of this species have been raised on liverworts. Adults are on the wing in November to January and are attracted to light.

Glaucocharis bipunctella
Male
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Crambidae
Subfamily: Crambinae
Tribe: Diptychophorini
Genus: Glaucocharis
Species:
G. bipunctella
Binomial name
Glaucocharis bipunctella
(Walker, 1866)[1]
Synonyms
  • Eromene bipunctella Walker, 1866
  • Diptychophora bipunctella (Walker, 1866)
  • Pareromene bipunctella (Walker, 1866)

Taxonomy

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This species was first described by Francis Walker in 1866 and named Eromene bipunctella.[2] In 1885 Edward Meyrick placed this species in the genus Diptychophora.[3] George Hudson discussed this species under this name in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand but when illustrating the species used a specimen from the species Glaucocharis harmonica.[4] In 1929 Alfred Philpott supposedly described the genitalia of the male of this species.[5] However Gaskin stated that Philpott's illustrations labelled bipunctella were actually of G. elaina.[6] Hudson, in his 1939 book A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand, corrected this error, illustrated G. bipunctella and discussed it in more detail.[7] In 1971 David E. Gaskin placed this species in the genus Pareromene.[6] In 1985 Gaskin again discussed this species and placed it in the genus Glaucocharis.[8] The male holotype, collected in Auckland by D. Bolton, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[9]

Description

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Illustration of male.

Hudson described this species as follows:

The expansion of the wings is nearly 58 inch (15 mm.). The fore-wings are triangular, termen oblique, brownish-cream-colour, with pale grey, but very distinct markings; first-line double, from about 14 of costa to 13 of dorsum, strongly outwards bowed beneath costa; 2nd line also double, slightly waved, from about 34 of costa to 34 of dorsum, strongly bowed outwards immediately below costa; discal dot small, clear white, outlined in grey; a fine blackish grey terminal line, and three clear black dots on termen above tornus; no costal marking between origin of second line and apex; cilia white, narrowly silvery-metallic at base. The hindwings are very pale brownish-white, almost pure white towards base, a fine grey terminal line; cilia clear white with faint greyish sub-basal line.[7]

G. bipunctella is similar in appearance to G. harmonica.[7]

Distribution

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Live specimen.

G. bipunctella is endemic to New Zealand.[10] This species has been found in Albany north of Auckland as well as in the southern parts of the North Island from Palmerston North and Pohangina in the Ruahine Range southwards.[11][6] It is also found in the Nelson region.[6]

Habitat and hosts

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G. bipunctella inhabits dense native forest.[6] Larvae of this species have been reared on liverworts.[12]

Behaviour

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The adults of this species are on the wing in November, December and January.[6][11] Adult moths are attracted to light.[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b 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. 457. ISBN 9781877257933. OCLC 973607714.
  2. ^ Francis Walker (1866), List of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Part XXXV. - supplement, part 5., London, pp. 1761–1762, Wikidata Q115099201{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ Edward Meyrick (May 1885). "Art. XII. — Descriptions of New Zealand Micro-Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 17: 132. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q110063611.
  4. ^ George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 175, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286
  5. ^ Alfred Philpott (1929). "The male genitalia of the New Zealand Crambidae". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 60 (3): 491–514. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q124044081.
  6. ^ a b c d e f David Edward Gaskin (1971). "A revision of New Zealand Diptychophorini (Lepidoptera; Pyralidae; Crambinae)". New Zealand Journal of Science. 14: 770–771. ISSN 0028-8365. Wikidata Q110236267.
  7. ^ a b c George Vernon Hudson (1939), A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 422, OCLC 9742724, Wikidata Q109420935
  8. ^ David E. Gaskin (20 December 1985). "Morphology and reclassification of the Australasian, Melanesian and Polynesian Glaucocharis Meyrick (Lepidoptera : Crambinae : Diptychophorini)". Australian Journal of Zoology. Supplementary Series. 33 (115): 1. doi:10.1071/AJZS115. ISSN 0310-9089. Wikidata Q54618937.
  9. ^ 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: 144. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  10. ^ "NZOR Name Details - Glaucocharis bipunctella (Walker, 1866)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ Glime, J. M. (2020). "Chapters 12-14". Bryophyte Ecology. Vol. 2 (published 19 July 2020). p. 10.
  13. ^ Rebecca Bennik (2014), Sexual conflict and genital evolution in moths, ResearchSpace@Auckland, hdl:2292/24100, Wikidata Q112904573