Heterocrossa canescens
Male holotype
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Carposinidae
Genus: Heterocrossa
Species:
H. canescens
Binomial name
Heterocrossa canescens
(Philpott, 1930)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Carposina canescens Philpott, 1930

Heterocrossa canescens is a species of moth in the family Carposinidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species has been observed in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park and in the Southern Alps. The larvae of this species feed on the fruits and flowers of endemic to New Zealand species in the genus Gaultheria. Adult moths are on the wing in November and from January to March.

Taxonomy

This species was described by Alfred Philpott in 1930 using material he collected in February at Governors Bush, Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park and originally named Carposina canescens.[3][2] George Hudson discussed this species under that name in his 1939 book A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[4] In 1978 Elwood Zimmerman argued that the genus Heterocrassa should not be a synonym of Carposina as the genitalia of the species in this genus are distinctive.[5] Subsequently John S. Dugdale placed this species within the genus Heterocrossa.[2][6][7] The holotype specimen is held at the Canterbury Museum.[2]

Description

Illustration of species by George Hudson.

Philpott described the species as follows:

♂ ♀. 15–17 mm. Head, palpi and thorax whitish-grey. Antennae grey, ciliations in ♂ 4. Abdomen whitish-ochreous. Legs, anterior and middle pair fuscous, tarsi annulated with ochreous, posterior pair ochreous-white. Forewings, costa moderately arched, apex rounded, termen straight, oblique; grey, faintly greenish tinged; a black basal area on costa reaching half across wing and indicated below middle by a few raised black scales; 5 or 6 black spots on costa between 1⁄3 and apex; an oblique black bar of raised scales beneath 1st costal spot, outwardly margined with ochreous and white; 3 or 4 ring-like spots and some scattered blackish and ochreous scales in disc; an obscure interrupted blackish subterminal fascia; termen thickly sprinkled with blackish scales: fringes fuscous-grey sprinkled with white. Hindwings shining grey, in ♂ with ochreous area along costa from base to 1⁄2 fringes ochreous-white.[3]

Distribution

Governors Bush, the type locality of H. canescens.

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[6][1] Other than the type locality, this species has been found in the Southern Alps at the junction of the Bealey and Waimakariri Rivers.[4]

Biology and behaviour

The adult moths of this species are on the wing in November and January to March.[8]

Host species

Flowers of Gaultheria crassa, a likely host plant of the larvae of H. canescens.

The larvae of this species feed on the fruits and flowers of Gaultheria species.[8][9]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Heterocrossa canescens.
  1. 1 2 "Heterocrossa canescens (Philpott, 1930)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 131. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  3. 1 2 Philpott, Alfred (1930). "The Lepidoptera of Mount Cook, with descriptions of new species". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 61: 419–439.
  4. 1 2 Hudson, G. V. (1939). A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 455. OCLC 221041540. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  5. ↑ Zimmerman, Elwood (1978). Insects of Hawaii. Vol. 9. Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press. p. 797. hdl:10125/7338. ISBN 9780824804879.
  6. 1 2 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.
  7. ↑ "Heterocrossa canescens (Philpott, 1930)". www.nzinverts.landcareresearch.co.nz. 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  8. 1 2 White, E. G. (1991). "The changing abundance of Moths in a Tussock grassland, 1962–1989, and 50- TO 70-YEAR trends" (PDF). New Zealand Journal of Ecology: 5–22.
  9. ↑ "PlantSynz – Invertebrate herbivore biodiversity assessment tool: Database". plant-synz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
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