Asaphodes recta

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Asaphodes recta
File:Asaphodes recta female.jpg
Female
File:Asaphodes recta male.jpg
Male
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Asaphodes
Species:
A. recta
Binomial name
Asaphodes recta
(Philpott, 1905)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Xanthorhoe recta Philpott, 1905
  • (Philpott, 1905) Larentia recta

Asaphodes recta is a moth in the family Geometridae.[2] It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the southern parts of the South Island. The preferred habitat of this species is open tussock grassland. The adults are on the wing in February and March. Larvae of this species have been reared on species in the genera Ranunculus and Bellis.

Taxonomy

[edit | edit source]

This species was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1905 using specimens collected from Ida Valley and named Xanthorhoe recta.[3] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under that name in 1928.[4] In 1939 Louis Beethoven Prout placed this species in the genus Larentia.[5] This placement was not accepted by New Zealand taxonomists.[6] In 1971 J. S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Asaphodes.[7] In 1988 Dugdale confirmed this placement.[2] The male holotype specimen, collected at Ida Valley in Otago, is held at the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.[2]

Description

[edit | edit source]
File:Fig 19 MA I437613 TePapa Plate-XIV-The-butterflies full (cropped).jpg
Illustration of A. recta by George Hudson.

Philpott described this species as:

♂, 31 mm. Head, thorax, and abdomen ochreous. Forewings moderate, greyish-ochreous, irregularly suffused with reddish especially towards costa, markings brownish; first line before 13, curved, anteriorly edged with grey; median bandformed of three or four thin lines with narrow spaces of ground-colour between; the first of these is almost straight and rather darker than the others; the posterior edge of the last one is irregular with two strong projections below middle; this is followed by a narrow band of pale-greyish, almost white in some examples; a broad band of brown from 45 of costa to tornus, posteriorly waved and followed by a waved pale line; cilia long, brownish-pink. Hind wings long, narrow, pale-yellow; a terminal series of indistinct linear brownish spots; cilia pink.[3]

Distribution

[edit | edit source]

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[1] Along with the type locality, specimens had also been collected near Dunedin and Invercargill.[3][4]

Habitat

[edit | edit source]

The preferred habitat of this species is open tussock grassland in Otago and Southland.[4][3]

Behaviour

[edit | edit source]

The adults of this species are on the wing in February and March.[4]

Hosts

[edit | edit source]

Larvae of this species have been reared on species in the genera Ranunculus and Bellis.[8]

References

[edit | edit source]
  1. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  2. ^ a b c d Lua error in Module:Cite_Q/config at line 10: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
  3. ^ a b c d Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  4. ^ a b c d Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  6. ^ Lua error in Module:Cite_Q/config at line 10: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
  7. ^ Lua error in Module:Cite_Q/config at line 10: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
  8. ^ Lua error in Module:Cite_Q/config at line 10: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).

Lua error in Module:Taxonbar at line 165: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).