Mallobathra aphrosticha
Male lectotype
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Psychidae
Genus: Mallobathra
Species:
M. aphrosticha
Binomial name
Mallobathra aphrosticha
Meyrick, 1912[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Talepora aphrostcha Meyrick, 1912
  • Talepora aphrosticha Meyrick, 1912

Mallobathra aphrosticha is a moth of the family Psychidae.[1][2] This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been collected in Fiordland, Otago and Southland. The adults are on the wing in December and the female is semi-apterous.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1912 and named Telapora aphrostcha, a misspelling in the original publication.[3][2] He used specimens collected by Alfred Philpott at Hump Ridge in Fiordland at an altitude of 3500 ft.[4] Not long after publication, the spelling of aphrosticha was used in scientific literature to refer to this species.[4] Dugdale discussed this misspelling stating that the appropriate spelling of the species name is aphrositcha as indicated by Mayrick's handwriting on a specimen label.[2] In 1971 this species was placed within the genus Mallobathra.[5] This name was confirmed by the New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity.[1]

Description

Illustration of a male M. aphrosticha by George Hudson.

Meyrick described the adults of this species as follows:

♂ 22 mm. Head, palpi, and antennae dark fuscous, antennal ciliations 2+1⁄2. Thorax dark fuscous, with several whitish dots posteriorly. Abdomen dark grey, somewhat whitish-mixed. Forewings elongate, rather narrow at base, posteriorly dilated, costa gently arched, apex obtuse, termen obliquely rounded ; all veins separate ; white, mixed with grey in disc and towards costa, coarsely reticulated throughout with dark fuscous ; the white colour forms a more conspicuous quadrate spot on dorsum before middle, including a dark - fuscous dorsal strigula, and preceded and followed by irregular dark-fuscous spots : cilia fuscous, basal half spotted with white. Hindwings dark grey ; cilia fuscous. ♀ apterous, active.[3]

The female of this species is semi-apterous.[4]

Distribution

Hump Ridge Track, type locality of M. aphrosticha.

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[1] It has been collected in Fiordland, Otago and Southland.[5][6][7]

Behaviour

This species is on the wing in December.[4]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mallobathra aphrosticha.
  1. 1 2 3 4 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 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: 68. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  3. 1 2 Edward Meyrick (10 June 1912). "Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 44: 123. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q109393380.
  4. 1 2 3 4 George Vernon Hudson (1912). "Notes on semi-apterous females in certain species of Lepidoptera, with an attempted explanation". Entomologist's Monthly Magazine. 48: 271. ISSN 0013-8908. Wikidata Q110093593.
  5. 1 2 Dugdale, J. S. (10 November 1971). "Entomology of the Aucklands and other islands south of New Zealand: Lepidoptera, excluding non-crambine Pyralidae" (PDF). Pacific Insects Monographs. 27: 139. ISSN 0078-7515. Wikidata Q64006453.
  6. ↑ Alfred Philpott (1917). "A list of the Lepidoptera of Otago". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 49: 271. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q63958657.
  7. ↑ "Mallobathra aphrosticha". Auckland Museum Collections Online. 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
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