Pyrgotis transfixa

Pyrgotis transfixa is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as "At Risk, Naturally Uncommon" by the Department of Conservation.

Pyrgotis transfixa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Tortricidae
Genus:
Pyrgotis
Species:
P. transfixa
Binomial name
Pyrgotis transfixa
(Meyrick, 1924)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Catamacta transfixa Meyrick, 1924

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick from a specimen collected by George Hudson at Gollan's Valley, Wellington in December.[2][3] Meyrick named the species Catamacta transfixa.[3] George Hudson described and illustrated this species under that name in his 1928 book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[4] In 1971 John S. Dugdale placed this species within the genus Pyrgotis.[5] The holotype specimen of this species is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[6]

Description

Meyrick described this species as follows:

♂︎. 15 mm. Head and thorax dark purplish-fuscous mixed with dark red-brown. Palpi dark fuscous. Antennal ciliations 1. Forewings suboblong, costa anteriorly gently arched, with rather broad fold from base to beyond ​1⁄3, termen sinuate, oblique ; ferruginous-brown suffusedly reticulated with glistening greyish-violet; a narrow suffused ochreous-whitish median streak from base to termen, similar streaks on veins 6 and 7, on vein 3, and space between this and tornus suffusedly irrorated ochreous-whitish : cilia ferruginous-brown mixed whitish, tips whitish, at apex a violet-grey bar. Hindwings pale grey, very faintly ; mottled ; cilia whitish.[3]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[1][7] This species is only known from Wellington.[6] Specimens have been obtained in the Orongorongo Valley.[6]

Biology and life cycle

Very little is known of the biology of this species.[6] The adult moths are on the wing in December.[4] They are attracted to light.[6]

Host species and habitat

This species prefers forest habitat.[4] The host species and larvae of this moth are at present unknown.[6]

Conservation Status

This species has been classified as having the "At Risk, Naturally Uncommon" conservation status under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[8]

References
  1. "Pyrgotis transfixa (Meyrick, 1924)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2018-05-25.
  2. Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 127 – via Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd.
  3. Meyrick, E. (1924). "Notes and descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 55: 202–206. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  4. Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 221.
  5. Dugdale, J. S. (1971). "Entomology of the Aucklands and other islands south of New Zealand: Lepidoptera, excluding non-crambine Pyralidae". Pacific Insects Monograph. 27: 55–172.
  6. Patrick, B.H.; Dugdale, J.S. (2000). Conservation status of the New Zealand lepidoptera (PDF). Wellington, N.Z.: Dept. of Conservation. p. 31. ISBN 978-047821867-1. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  7. 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. 465. ISBN 9781877257933. OCLC 973607714.
  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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