Xanthorhoe orophylloides

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Xanthorhoe orophylloides
Male
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Xanthorhoe
Species:
X. orophylloides
Binomial name
Xanthorhoe orophylloides
Hudson, 1909[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Xanthorhoe subantarctica Salmon, 1956
  • Helastia orophylloides (Hudson, 1909)

Xanthorhoe orophylloides is a moth of the family Geometridae.[1] It was first described by George Hudson in 1909 and is endemic to New Zealand. This species is found in the subantarctic islands including at the Auckland Islands and at Campbell Island.

Taxonomy[edit]

This species was first described by Hudson in 1909 using specimens collected at the North Arm of Carnley Harbour at the Auckland Islands and also at Campbell Island.[3] In 1928 Hudson, in his seminal work The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, again discussed and illustrated this species.[4] In 1971 J. S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Helastia.[5] The genus Helastia was restricted by R. C. Craw in 1987 placing this species into the genus Xanthorhoe.[6] This placement was accepted in 1988 by Dugdale.[2] The male holotype specimen, collected at Carnley Harbour, is held at Te Papa.[2]

Description[edit]

Illustration of X. orophylloides

Hudson described this species as follows:

The expansion of the wings is 1+12 in. The head is brownish-grey. The antennae are moderately bipectinated. The thorax and abdomen are pale grey, the latter with the segmental divisions dull ochreous ; there are also two black dots on the back of each segment. The forewings are rather narrow, with the apex somewhat acute, and the termen slightly curved oblique, pale bluish-grey with pale brownish-black markings ; a rather faint transverse line at about 13 strongly marked on the cell by a cloudy wedge-shaped mark ; a stronger transverse line at 34 well marked by a series of dark marks on each of the veins, those nearest the cell being considerably larger than the rest ; a fairly distinct terminal shading of dark grey and a large wedge-shaped pale apical area ; the median hand generally is paler and browner than the rest of the wing. The hindwings are pale grey. The cilia are greyish- white, with a few brownish-black scales only.[3]

X. orophylloides is similar in appearance to X. orophyla and Epyaxa rosearia but may be easily separated as X. orophylloides has narrower wings.[2]

Distribution[edit]

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[7] It is found in the subantarctic islands including at the Auckland Islands and at Campbell Island.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Xanthorhoe orophylloides Hudson, 1909". www.nzor.org.nz. Retrieved 2022-04-30.
  2. ^ a b c d John Stewart Dugdale (23 September 1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. 14. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research: 191. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  3. ^ a b Charles Chilton, ed. (1909), The subantarctic islands of New Zealand. Reports on the geo-physics, geology, zoology and botany of the islands lying to the south of New Zealand, based mainly on observations and collections made during an expedition in the government steamer "Hinemoa" (Captain J. Bollons) in November, 1907., vol. 1, Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, p. 68, doi:10.5962/BHL.TITLE.33075, Wikidata Q56518628
  4. ^ a b George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 110, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286
  5. ^ Dugdale, J. S. (10 November 1971). "Entomology of the Aucklands and other islands south of New Zealand: Lepidoptera, excluding non-crambine Pyralidae" (PDF). Pacific Insects Monographs. 27: 55–172. ISSN 0078-7515. Wikidata Q64006453.
  6. ^ R. C. Craw (April 1987). "Revision of the genus Helastia sensu stricto with description of a new genus (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Larentiinae)". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 14 (2): 269–293. doi:10.1080/03014223.1987.10422997. ISSN 0301-4223. Wikidata Q54670161.
  7. ^ Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 460. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.