Asaphodes adonis
Male
Female
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Asaphodes
Species:
A. adonis
Binomial name
Asaphodes adonis
(Hudson, 1898)[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Xanthorhoe adonis Hudson, 1898
  • Larentia adonis (Hudson, 1898)

Asaphodes adonis (also known as the exquisite carpet moth) is a species of moth in the family Geometridae.[2] It is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. It is found in native forest at altitudes of between 300 and 1200 metres. Larvae have been reared on species of Ranunculus. Adults are on the wing in January and February.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by George Vernon Hudson in 1898 under the name Xanthorhoe adonis using specimens collected at Castle Hill or at the Routeburn.[3] Hudson went on to discuss and illustrate this species in his book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[4] In 1939 Louis Beethoven Prout placed this species in the genus Larentia.[5] This placement was not accepted by New Zealand taxonomists.[6] In 1971 J. S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Asaphodes.[7] In 1988 Dugdale affirmed this placement in his catalogue of New Zealand Lepidoptera.[2] The type specimens have not been located at Te Papa.[2] Dugdale presumed that the syntype series of specimens Hudson sent to Meyrick is held in the Natural History Museum, London.[2]

Description

Male A. adonis illustrated by George Hudson.

Hudson originally described this species as follows:

The expansion of the wings is 1 inch. The fore-wings are vivid green : there is a broad, wavy, black transverse line near the base ; a somewhat broken line at about one-third, much broader on the costa and edged with white towards the base; a very conspicuous lima// black line at two-thirds, shaded towards the base, and sharply edged with white towards flic termen ; between this line and the termen there are several black marks, forming another extremely broken transverse line. The hind-wings arc pale orange-brown, with a faint grey central band.[3]

A. adonis has vivid green forewings with dark coloured broad wavy lines edged with white which form a distinctive pattern.[3] The dark coloured wavy lines can vary considerably in thickness.[4] The hind wings are a pale orange shaded brown.[3] This species can be distinguished from its close relative Asaphodes beata by the colour of its hind wings.[8]

Distribution and habitat

Observation of live moth.

This species is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the South Island only.[1][9] It is regarded as uncommon and is found in native forest in the South Island at altitudes of between 300 and 1200 metres.[3][10] A. adonis have been observed at Castle Hill and Lake Wakatipu,[3] Lake Harris track,[11] Bold Peak in Otago,[10] Mt Aspiring Station,[12] and in the Te Anau Ecological District.[13]

Behaviour

Adults of this species are on the wing in January and February.[3][10] It can be found during the day resting on tree trunks, camouflaged against similar coloured lichen growth.[14]

Host plant

Larvae of A. adonis have been reared on species of Ranunculus.[15]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 "NZOR Name Details - Asaphodes adonis (Hudson, 1898)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 John Stewart Dugdale (23 September 1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. 14: 172. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 George Vernon Hudson (1898), New Zealand moths and butterflies (Macro-lepidoptera), Illustrator: George Hudson, London, p. 63, doi:10.5962/BHL.TITLE.7912, OCLC 980865393, Wikidata Q19073637{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. 1 2 George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 117, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286
  5. ↑ Prout, L. B. (1939). "Geometridae: Fauna Indo-Australica". The Macrolepidoptera of the World. 12: 264 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  6. ↑ R. C. Craw (April 1987). "Revision of the genus Helastia sensu stricto with description of a new genus (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Larentiinae)". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 14 (2): 269–293. doi:10.1080/03014223.1987.10422997. ISSN 0301-4223. Wikidata Q54670161.
  7. ↑ J. S. Dugdale (10 November 1971). "Entomology of the Aucklands and other islands south of New Zealand: Lepidoptera, excluding non-crambine Pyralidae" (PDF). Pacific Insects Monographs. 27: 55–172. ISSN 0078-7515. Wikidata Q64006453.
  8. ↑ Meyrick, E (1908). "Notes and descriptions of New Zealand lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 41: 6 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. 1 2 3 Hamilton, H. (1911). "Notes on entomological collecting tours during the seasons 1908-1909 and 1909-1910". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 43: 123 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  11. ↑ Hudson, G. V. (1906). "On entomology of the Routeburn Valley". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 39: 202 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  12. ↑ Mt Aspiring Station Conservation Resources Report Part 1 (Report). Department of Conservation. November 2005. p. 34. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  13. ↑ Mcrea, Amber (12 April 2016). "Asaphodes adonis Observed by amber_mcrae February 2, 2016". NaturewatchNZ. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  14. ↑ Crowe, Andrew (2017). Which New Zealand insect?. Penguin Books. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-14-100636-9.
  15. ↑ Patrick, Brian (April 2000). "Conservation status of two rare New Zealand Geometrid moths" (PDF). Science for Conservation. 45: 1–21. ISSN 1173-2946. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
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