Heterocrossa eriphylla

Heterocrossa eriphylla, also known as the lichen snoutlet moth, is a species of moth in the family Carposinidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. The larvae of this species feed on the healing wounds of New Zealand beech trees.

Heterocrossa eriphylla
Heterocrossa eriphylla illustrated by Des Helmore
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Carposinidae
Genus:
Heterocrossa
Species:
H. eriphylla
Binomial name
Heterocrossa eriphylla
Synonyms[2]
  • Carposina eriphylla (Meyrick, 1888)

Taxonomy

This species was described by Edward Meyrick in 1888 using a specimen he collected in Wellington in January.[2][3] In 1922 Meyrick classified Heterocrossa as a synonym of the genus Carposina.[4][5] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 publication The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[6] In 1978 Elwood Zimmerman argued that the genus Heterocrassa should not be a synonym of Carposina as the genitalia of the species within the genus Heterocrassa are distinctive.[4] In 1988 John S. Dugdale assigned the species back to the genus Heterocrossa.[2] The holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[2]

Description

H. eriphylla was described by Meyrick as follows:

Male. — 26 mm. Head and thorax whitish-greenish, shoulders olive-greenish. Palpi whitish-greenish, apex of basal joint and a band before middle of second fuscous. Antennae greyish-ochreous, basal joint dilated, whitish-greenish. Abdomen pale whitish-ochreous. Legs dark fuscous, apex of joints whitish, posterior pair pale whitish-ochreous. Forewings elongate, posteriorly slightly dilated, costa gently arched, apex obtuse, hindmargin straight, oblique ; pale greenish, irregularly irrorated with white, especially towards hindmargin ; about eight small black spots on costa, from which proceed obscure olive-green inwardly oblique strigulae ; three inwardly oblique pairs of large tufts in disc, olive-green anteriorly, white posteriorly, margined above and below by small black spots, first near base, second at ​1⁄3, third at ​2⁄3 ; a short black streak on fold between second pair, crossed by a cloudy black mark margining them anteriorly ; a slender white sinuate longitudinal line in disc between second and third pairs, unevenly black-margined, crossed by three or four irregular fine white strigae ; a sub-terminal series of small fine irregular black marks, angulated in middle ; hindmargin irregularly dotted with black scales : cilia whitish, towards base sprinkled with greenish. Hindwings and cilia whitish.[3]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[7][1] This species is found in the North Island and northern parts of the South Island.[8] Specimens of this moth have been collected near the Wellington Botanic Gardens and at the Orongorongo Valley,[9][10] as well as near Woodville in hill country.[11] This moth has also been collected at Paroa.[12] H. eriphylla is regarded as being relatively uncommon.[8]

Biology and behaviour

The adult moths are on the wing in December to April,[9] May and June.[12] This moth is a night flier and is attracted to light.[8] During the day the adult moths rest on tree trunks where their variable lichen mimicking colouration assists with their camouflage.[8] W. P. Cohen stated that he collected his specimens during the day while they were at rest on the trunks of weeping-willows.[9] The larvae of this species feed on the callus tissue generated by their host trees as a result of damage caused by other insects.[8] The larvae are believed to facilitate the development of rot in beech trees by keeping wounds open to the air.[13] The species pupates at their feeding site.[8]

Host species
Host species Fuscospora truncata

H. eriphylla lives in native forest habitat.[8] The larvae of this species feed on the wood of the beech trees Fuscospora fusca and Fuscospora truncata.[14]

References
  1. 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. 457. ISBN 9781877257933. OCLC 973607714.
  2. Dugdale, J. S. (1988). Lepidoptera – annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14. pp. 1–269. ISBN 978-0477025188. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  3. Meyrick, Edward (1888). "Notes on New Zealand Tortricina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 20: 73–76 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  4. Zimmerman, Elwood (1978). Insects of Hawaii. 9. Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press. p. 797. hdl:10125/7338. ISBN 9780824804879.
  5. Meyrick, Edward (1922). "Lepidoptera Heterocera Fam. Carposinidiae". Genera Insectorum. fasc.176–180: 1–235 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  6. Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 217. OCLC 25449322.
  7. "Heterocrossa eriphylla Meyrick, 1888". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  8. Hoare, Robert (2014). Moths & Butterflies of New Zealand. New Zealand: New Holland Publishers (New Zealand) Ltd. p. 43. ISBN 9781869663995.
  9. Cohen, W. P. (1895). "Notes on rare Lepidoptera in Wellington". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 28: 377–379 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  10. Dugdale, J. S. (January 1995). "A new genus and species of New Zealand Carposinidae (Lepidoptera)". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 22 (2): 213–216. doi:10.1080/03014223.1995.9518036.
  11. McGregor, Peter G.; Watts, P. J.; Esson, M. J. (January 1987). "Light trap records from southern North Island hill country". New Zealand Entomologist. 10 (1): 104–121. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.694.3746. doi:10.1080/00779962.1987.9722515.
  12. Lyford, Brian M. (January 1994). "Lepidoptera and Trichoptera from Paroa, near Greymouth, New Zealand" (PDF). New Zealand Entomologist. 17 (1): 46–51. doi:10.1080/00779962.1994.9721984. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  13. Blakely, Tanya J. (2008). "Tree holes as habitat for aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates" (PDF). www.ir.canterbury.ac.nz. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  14. "PlantSynz – Invertebrate herbivore biodiversity assessment tool: Database". plant-synz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
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