Asterivora microlitha

Asterivora microlitha
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Choreutidae
Genus: Asterivora
Species:
A. microlitha
Binomial name
Asterivora microlitha
(Meyrick, 1888)
Synonyms
  • Simaethis microlitha Meyrick, 1888

Asterivora microlitha is a species of moth in the family Choreutidae. This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1888. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in both the North and South Islands. This species inhabits herbfields and scrub at alpine and subalpine altitudes. Adults are on the wing from September until February and larvae have been observed feeding on Helichrysum lanceolatum.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1888 and originally named Simaethis microlitha. In 1912 Meyrick restricted this species concept to include only those specimens used to first describe the species that were collected at Arthur's Pass. In 1927 Alfred Philpott studied the male genitalia of Simaethis microlitha. George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under the original name in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. In 1979 John S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Asterivora. The female lectotype, collected at Arthur's Pass at an altitude of between 3,000 and 5,000 ft by Meyrick, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.

Description

Meyrick described this species as follows:

♂♀. 9-10 mm. Head and thorax irrorated with white above ; scales of palpi longer and more projecting than in analoga ; antennae dotted with white : abdomen with segmental margins strongly white. Forewings more narrowed towards base than in ministra, fasciae of white irroration more strongly marked, fourth slender, but more sharply marked and brightly silvery-metallic above discal mark and at apex of dorsal section. Hindwings with white streak slender, regular, well-marked, extending 3⁄4 across wing from 3⁄4 of disc to middle of termen and thence running partially interrupted near termen almost to tornus.

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. It has been observed in both the North and South Islands.

Habitat and hosts

This species inhabits montane herbfields and scrub, often with species of Veronica present, at alpine and subalpine zones. A larval host plant of this species is Helichrysum lanceolatum.

Behaviour

Adults have been recorded as being on the wing in from September until February.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Gordon, Dennis Preston, ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 457. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. LCCN 2011379669. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  2. 1 2 3 Dugdale, John Stewart (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 113. doi:10.7931/j2/fnz.14. Wikidata Q45083134.
  3. ↑ Meyrick, Edward (1888). "Descriptions of New Zealand Tineina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute (in English and English). 20: 84. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q63125188. BHL page 3746395
  4. 1 2 Meyrick, Edward (1912). "Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 44: 122. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q109393380. BHL page 3304891 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ↑ Philpott, Alfred (1927). "The Male Genitalia of the New Zealand Glyphipterygidae". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 58: 337–347. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q110772020.
  6. 1 2 Hudson, George Vernon (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 309, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286 BHL page \61899920 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. ↑ Dugdale, John Stewart (1979). "A new generic name for the New Zealand species previously assigned to Simaethis auctorum (Lepidoptera: Choreutidae), with description of a new species". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 6 (3): 461–466. doi:10.1080/03014223.1979.10428386. Wikidata Q54576372.
  8. ↑ Hudson, George Vernon (1939), A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 457, OCLC 9742724, Wikidata Q109420935
  9. 1 2 Patrick, Brian (1982). "Lepidoptera of Danseys Pass, Otago". New Zealand Entomologist. 7 (3): 333. doi:10.1080/00779962.1982.9722418. Wikidata Q54755440.
  10. ↑ White, Edwin Graeme (1964). A survey and investigation of the insect fauna associated with some tussock grasslands (Master of Agricultural Science thesis). University of Canterbury. p. 193. hdl:10182/3393. Wikidata Q112836734.