Mallobathra abyssina
Male holotype
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Psychidae
Genus: Mallobathra
Species:
M. abyssina
Binomial name
Mallobathra abyssina
(Clarke, 1934)[1]
Synonyms
  • Sabathinca abyssina Clarke, 1934

Mallobathra abyssina is a moth of the family Psychidae.[1][2] It was described by Charles Edwin Clarke in 1934. This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the West Coast Region. Adults are on the wing in January.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Charles Edwin Clarke in 1934 using a male specimen collected by himself at Franz Joseph Glacier in January and named Sabathinca abyssina.[3] George Hudson discussed this species under that name in his 1939 publication A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[4] In 1988 J. S. Dugdale placed this species within the genus Mallobathra.[2] The holotype specimen is held at Auckland Museum.[2]

Description

Clarke described the adult of this species as follows:

♂ 12 mm. Head and thorax aeneous. Antennae dark fuscous, base aeneous. Abdomen dark fuscous. Forewing ovate, rather blunted at apex; very pale aeneous with fasciae of dark purple; an irroration of purple dots on base to ⅓ of costa, where a wide outwardly oblique fascia of dark irrorated purple crosses to dorsum, another sub-parallel at beyond ½, and another also sub-parallel, more or less bifurcated, towards apex, some loose irroration between fascias, of purple dots. Cilia ochreous-aeneous. Hindwings dark purplish grey. Cilia pale ochreous-aeneous.[3]

Distribution

Franz Josef Glacier, habitat of M. abyssina

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[1] The holotype specimen was collected on rocks on the north eastern side of Franz Josef Glacier.[3]

Behaviour

Adults of this species is on the wing in January.[3]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mallobathra abyssina.
  1. 1 2 3 Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia : chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 463. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  2. 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: 69. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Charles E. Clarke (May 1934). "Notes and Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 64: 15. ISSN 1176-6166. Wikidata Q110090429.
  4. ↑ George Vernon Hudson (1939), A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 471, OCLC 9742724, Wikidata Q109420935
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