Glyphipterix tungella
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Glyphipterigidae
Genus: Glyphipterix
Species:
G. tungella
Binomial name
Glyphipterix tungella
Synonyms[2]
  • Glyphipterix asteronota Meyrick, 1880
  • Glyphipterix plagigera Philpott, 1916

Glyphipterix tungella is a species of sedge moth in the genus Glyphipterix.[1] It is endemic to New Zealand and is found throughout the country. Larvae mine the leaves of small sedges. Adults of this species are day flying and inhabit sheltered scrub or grassy areas and forest clearings.

Taxonomy

G. tungella was first described by Cajetan Felder and Alois Friedrich Rogenhofer in 1875.[3] Edward Meyrick, thinking he was describing a new species, also described it in 1880 under the name Glyphipterix asteronota.[4] Alfred Philpott did the same in 1916 under the name Glyphipterix plagigera.[5] George Hudson discussed this species in his 1928 publication The butterflies and moths of New Zealand under the name G. tungella as a synonym of G. asteronota and under the name G. plagigera as a synonym of G. dichorda.[6] John S. Dugdale synonymised G. asteronota and G. plagigera with G. tungella in 1988.[6] The male holotype, collected in Nelson by T. R. Oxley, is held in the Natural History Museum, London.[6]

Description

Illustration from original description.

This species has a forewing length of between 3.5mm and 5mm.[7]

Meyrick described this species under the name Glyphipterix asteronota as follows:

♂ ♀. 3+1⁄4. Head, thorax, and antennae dark fuscous. Palpi whitish, with obsolete darker rings. (?) Abdomen dark fuscous, apex whitish. Legs dark fuscous, middle and posterior tibiae with whitish central and apical bands, all tarsi with broad whitish rings at apex of joints. Fore-wings somewhat dilated, hind-margin rather strongly sinuate beneath apex; dark fuscous ; two conspicuous clear white semilunate spots on inner margin, reaching half across wing, first near base, second slightly beyond middle, both outwardly oblique, their apices curved towards apex of wing; six slender oblique white streaks from costa; first at 1⁄4 ; second hardly before middle, not reaching half across wing ; third uniting with a similar streak from anal angle to form an outwardly curved transverse fascia ; fourth short ; fifth and sixth small, wedge-shaped, close before apex ; some irregular silvery-white scales above anal angle beyond the transverse fascia ; cilia grey (?), basal half separated by a black line and clothed with dark fuscous scales, except on a wedge-shaped black-margined indentation a little below apex, containing a whitish spot. (?) Hind-wings and cilia dark fuscous-grey.[4]

Philpott described this species under the name Glyphipterix plagigera as follows:

♂ ♀. 9+1⁄2-11 mm. Head ochreous-white. Thorax fuscous-brown. Palpi moderately tufted beneath, ochreous-white with 4 obscure fuscous rings. Abdomen blackish-grey, obscurely annulated Avith white. Posterior legs black, tibiae and tarsi annulated with white. Forewings elongate, moderately dilated posteriorly, costa moderately arched, apex obtuse, termen oblique ; dark greyish-fuscous, purplish tinted and more or less sprinkled with white posteriorly ; a narrow, outwardly oblique, white streak from costa at 1⁄4, reaching to near middle of wing ; 5 similar streaks between this and apex, the last two less oblique ; a broad white blotch on dorsum near base and a similar one before middle, sometimes uniting at apex ; an obscure white streak from tornus, sometimes uniting with third costal streak : cilia fuscous-grey with median line and apical hook darker. Hind- wings broadly lanceolate ; fuscous-grey : cilia fuscous-grey.[5]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[2][8] It is common throughout the country.[7]

Hosts and habitat

The larvae of G. tungella are leaf miners of small sedges.[9] The species prefers sheltered shrub or grassy areas and forest clearings.[7][4] It has been collected at Kānuka scrub sites.[10]

Behaviour

This day flying moth can be seen during the months of October to March.[7][11]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Glyphipterix tungella.
  1. 1 2 Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 460. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  2. 1 2 "Glyphipterix tungella Felder and Rogenhofer, 1875". biotanz.landcareresearch.co.nz. 27 January 2015. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
  3. ↑ Felder, Cajetan; Rogenhofer, Alois Friedrich (1864–1867). "Reise der österreichischen Fregatte Novara". Reise der österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859 unter den Befehlen des Commodore B. Von W. pt.9:Bd.2:Abt.2 (1864-1867) Atlas: Plate CXL fig 40 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  4. 1 2 3 Meyrick, Edward (1880). "Descriptions of Australian Microlepidoptera. IV. Tineina (cont.)". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 5: 204–271. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.15879. ISSN 0370-047X – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. 1 2 Alfred Philpott (1916), Descriptions of new species of Lepidoptera, vol. 48, p. 423, Wikidata Q110284142 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. 1 2 3 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: 78. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Robert J. B. Hoare (2014). A Photographic Guide to Moths & Butterflies of New Zealand. Illustrator: Olivier Jean-Philippe Ball. p. 27. ISBN 978-1-86966-399-5. Wikidata Q59396160.
  8. ↑ "Glyphipterix tungella Felder and Rogenhofer, 1875". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  9. ↑ John Stewart Dugdale (August 2001). Cloudy Bay Coastal Habitats: Entomological Values of the Foreshore and Associated Inland Habitats (PDF). Vol. 49. Department of Conservation. p. 24. ISBN 0-478-22083-9. ISSN 0113-3853. Wikidata Q110338931. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
  10. ↑ John Stewart Dugdale; John Hutcheson (August 1997). "Invertebrate values of kanuka (Kunzea ericoides) stands, Gisborne Region". Science for Conservation. Department of Conservation. 55: 1–30. ISSN 1173-2946. Wikidata Q110426224.
  11. ↑ 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.
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