Heterocrossa maculosa

Heterocrossa maculosa is a species of moth in the family Carposinidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as "Data Deficient" by the Department of Conservation.

Heterocrossa maculosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Carposinidae
Genus:
Heterocrossa
Species:
H. maculosa
Binomial name
Heterocrossa maculosa
(Philpott, 1927)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Carposina maculosa Philpott, 1927

Taxonomy

This species was originally described by Alfred Philpott in 1927 using a specimen collected from Cooper's Knob, Banks Peninsula by Stewart Lindsay and named Carposina maculosa.[2][3] George Hudson discussed this species under this name in his 1928 publication 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 in this genus are distinctive.[5] Subsequently John S. Dugdale placed this species within the genus Heterocrossa.[2][6] The holotype specimen is held at the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.[2]

Description

Philpott originally described the species as follows:

♂ ♀ 18 mm. Head, antennae and thorax light buff. Palpi light buff mixed with ochreous on lower half externally. Abdomen ochreous-white. Legs ochreous-white, anterior and middle parts infuscated. Forewings moderate, costa moderately arched at base, thence straight, apex subacute, termen straight, oblique; light buff finely irrorated with pale fuscous; markings fuscous-black; a dot beneath costa near base and a similar one obliquely before it above dorsum; a minute dot beneath costa at ​1⁄4 and a much larger one beneath it below fold; a dot in disc beyond these; a dot beneath costa and two below it in disc before ​1⁄2; a small dot beneath costa between these and ​3⁄4; two or three dots touching each other and forming a short transverse striga at ​3⁄4; an obscure irregular striga from costa at ​4⁄5 to tornus; a series round termen: fringes whitish-buff. Hindwings and fringes shining white.[3]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[1][6] It is known from the Lyttelton Hills and Otago.[7] Other than the type locality, this species has also been collected from Hoon Hay Bush.[3]

Biology and behaviour

The adult moths are on the wing in November.[4]

Host species and habitat

The larvae feed on Hoheria angustifolia and Plagianthus regius.[7]

Conservation status

This species has been classified as having the "Data Deficient" conservation status under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[8] The main risks to this species are likely habitat fragmentation and loss.[7]

References
  1. "Heterocrossa maculosa (Philpott, 1927)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  2. Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera – annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 131. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  3. Philpott, Alfred (1927). "N.Z. Lepidoptera: notes and descriptions". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 57: 703–709.
  4. Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 218. OCLC 25449322.
  5. Zimmerman, Elwood (1978). Insects of Hawaii. 9. Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press. p. 797. hdl:10125/7338. ISBN 9780824804879.
  6. 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.
  7. Pawson, Stephen M.; Emberson, Rowan M. (2000). The conservation status of invertebrates in Canterbury (Report). Department of Conservation. pp. 41–42. hdl:10182/1658. ISSN 1171-9834.
  8. 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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