Elachista melanura

Elachista melanura is a species of moth in the family Elachistidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as "Data Deficient" by the Department of Conservation.

Elachista melanura
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Elachistidae
Genus:
Elachista
Species:
E. melanura
Binomial name
Elachista melanura

Taxonomy

This species was originally described by Edward Meyrick in 1889 using a female specimen collected in Hamilton in January.[2][3] Hudson discussed this species in his 1928 publication The Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand.[4] The holotype is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[3]

Description

Meyrick described the species as follows:

♂. 13mm. Head, palpi, antennæ, and thorax whitish-grey. Abdomen ochreous-whitish, with a dense black apical exsertible tuft. Legs dark fuscous, posterior pair ochreous-whitish. Forewings lanceolate; whitish-grey, somewhat irrorated with darker; an elongate black dot on fold before middle, a second in disc above middle, and a third in disc at ⅔: cilia grey-whitish, with a spot of black scales at base round apex, and tips sprinkled with black. Hindwings and cilia pale whitish-grey.[2]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[1][5] Other than its type locality, this species has also been collected in Titirangi in February 2000.[6][7]

Habitat

The type specimen was collected in heath-like scrub and swamp habitat.[3] It has also been collected in gumland and pakihi (a type of wetland).[6][8]

Conservation status

This species has been classified as having the "Data Deficient" conservation status under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[9]

References
  1. "Elachista melanura Meyrick, 1889". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2018-05-31.
  2. Meyrick, Edward (May 1889). "Descriptions of New Zealand Micro-Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 21: 154–188 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  3. Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera-annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 1–264. ISBN 0477025188 – via Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd.
  4. Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 320. OCLC 25449322.
  5. Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity. Volume two. Kingdom animalia : chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. Christchurch, N.Z.: Canterbury University Press. p. 458. ISBN 9781877257933. OCLC 973607714.
  6. "NZTCS Lepidoptera spreadsheet". www.doc.govt.nz. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  7. Environmental Impact Assessment of Aerial Spraying Btk in NZ for painted apple moth (Report). Ministry for Primary Industries. February 2003. Archived from the original on 2014-09-20. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  8. "Pakihi". Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research. Retrieved 2018-05-31.
  9. Hoare, R.J.B.; Dugdale, J.S.; Edwards, E.D.; Gibbs, G.W.; Patrick, B.H.; Hitchmough, R.A.; Rolfe, J.R. (2017). "Conservation status of New Zealand butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera), 2015" (PDF). New Zealand Threat Classification Series. 20: 8.


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