Cleora scriptaria

Cleora scriptaria, the kawakawa looper moth, is a moth in the family Geometridae found only in New Zealand.[3]

Cleora scriptaria
Male
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Cleora
Species:
C. scriptaria
Binomial name
Cleora scriptaria
(Walker, 1860)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Tephrosia scriptaria Walker, 1860
  • Scotosia stigmaticata Walker, 1862
  • Scotosia panagrata Walker, 1862
  • Barsine panagrata Walker, 1862
  • Selidosema panagrata Walker, 1862
  • Angerona menanaria Walker, 1863
  • Epirranthis antipodaria Felder, 1875
  • Hyperythra arenacea Butler, 1879
  • Hyperythra desiccate Butler, 1879

Taxonomy

C. scriptaria was first described by Francis Walker in 1860 as Tephrosia scriptaria using specimens obtained from Major Parry.[4]

Description

The Kawakawa looper moth varies considerably in both colour and size during its adult stage of life. Both male and female moths have unique spots located on the middle of their wings these spots can vary in colours of black, white and cream [5] Distinguishing the gender of the moth can be determined by the feathered like antennae that occurs only in the males, whereas the female's antennae remain shorter and featherless. While the moth is feeding the antenna can be seen in an uncoiled state which is helpful in distinguishing the moth from other related species. The body size of the moth is between 10 – 15 mm long and the wingspan can be between 30 and 55 mm wide. The coloration of the Kawakawa looper moth has many variations with the most common having yellow/ brown mottled forewings. Other variations include big yellow patches on darker coloured wings. The caterpillar of the Kawakawa looper moth can also vary somewhat in appearance with the juvenile caterpillar being light green colour that eventually transitions into more of a light brown as they age.[6]

Range

Natural global range

The Bio status of Cleora scriptaria is endemic meaning that it is native and restricted to a certain place. Its distribution is throughout New Zealand and is considered rather common.[7]

New Zealand range

All over New Zealand

Habitat

The Kawakawa looper moth is endemic to New Zealand endemic meaning belonging exclusively or confined to a particular place. The Kawakawa looper moth finds sanctuary near or on the native New Zealand shrub called the Kawakawa shrub which can be found all throughout New Zealand's native ecosystems, parks, gardens and forests especially in costal and lowland forests along the north and south island. The shrub can be identified by its heart shaped leaves most likely found with holes all throughout the leaves due to feeding from the moth. The moth may regularly hide amongst dead leaves or rest by trees where their wing patterns and colouring provide them with a sufficient means of camouflage to remain elusive from predators. The Kawakawa is one amongst several plants leaves which the moth like to feed on however the Kawakawa shrub is the moths favoured host plant. The Kawakawa are unique in the way that they are able to eat the leaves of the plant where in fact the chemical defences that the leaves produce is toxic to other species of insect for example the house fly and can result in the death of the species.

Host plants

Its green or brown larvae are notable for feeding at night on the leaves of the kawakawa, Piper excelsum, leaving a distinctive pattern of holes.[3] They do not feed exclusively on kawakawa, and can also be found on horopito (Pseudowintera sp.), wineberry/makomako (Aristotelia serrata), ramarama (Lophomyrtus sp.), akeake (Dodonea viscosa), and even introduced feijoas (Feijoa sellowiana).[8][9][10] The leaves of the Kawakawa possess a range of anti-feedant chemicals, however this does not prevent the larvae from producing patterns of holes among the leaves. The larger caterpillars tend to make notches on the edges of the leaves.

Ecology

Moths

At the moth stage the Kawakawa looper moth is fully developed with two pairs of wings and three pairs of legs. The head holds two long antennae as well as a long rostrum which is a snout like projection which extends from the heads of insects which are usually in a coiled-up position. This position of the rostrum changes when the moth chooses to feed on nectar flowers. Female moths who are newly out of the cocoon will let off a pheromone which is a “mixture of volatile chemicals” to attract the male Kawakawa looper moth. The antenna for the males are seen to be different as they bare adaptations for breeding purposes as they contain numerous sensory cells that detect chemicals that are released in the air. Therefore, they are able to pick up and sense a recently emerged female's pheromones that attract the male.

Eggs and caterpillars

The female Kawakawa looper moth will lay her eggs on the leaves or stems of their favoured host plant usually the Kawakawa plant. The female will lay her eggs in clusters of 3 – 12 and the appearance of the eggs are pale green and cylinder like in shape.

Once developed the caterpillar will chew on the egg in order to make its way out thereafter moving onto young leaves as a food supply. This now young caterpillar is pale green in colour and has dark or white stripes down each side of its body. They will situate themselves on leaf veins and around the edges of leaves where they will lay themselves as flat as possible as an act of camouflage. As they grow which they do so by moulting and changing skins when this happens they tend to change colour and may become pale brown the older they get. During this change the caterpillar will move to place itself between plant crevices and between leaves during the daytime hours.

Pupae

A fully grown caterpillar will lower itself towards the ground and hide itself in amongst leaf litter. Within this leaf litter the caterpillar will tunnel its way into the top debris of the soil. Here is where the caterpillar will once again moult and thereafter be in the form of a pupa. The appearance of the pupa is brown in colour with two slender processes at the end of the abdomen known as the cremaster which is used to attach the hind end of a butterfly or moths pupa to a twig or other structure. When the moth is ready to come out it will split down its side in order to emerge. Once the moth has emerged it will climb onto a structure of support being a branch or twig and will hang on while it attempts to expand its wings and harden its body structure.[7]

Parasites and parasitoids

A particular nematode which are multicellular insects with smooth, unsegmented bodies has been known to infect the caterpillar of the kawakawa moth as well as six known parasites which have come from the pupae and the caterpillar. These parasitoids which are organisms that have young that develop on or within another organism eventually killing it consist of fly and wasp species. The larva of these species live inside the kawakawa moth at the caterpillar stage once the larva has reached its maturity it will leave the body of the caterpillar and attach itself to the leaf of the kawakawa plant thereafter dropping its thread and weaving itself into its own cocoon. Some larva will kill the caterpillar before it reaches maturity this is done by forcing the caterpillar to hang from the leaf while the larva breaks through the skin of the caterpillar.[11]

Predators

The one predator of the kawakawa moth is a sucking bug “Cardiastethus consors Hemiptera: Anthocoridae”. These predators fed on larvae and eggs of the moth. The predators of the Kawakawa looper moth are similar to that of most moth or butterfly species. This includes species of spiders, birds or bats that can prey on it both while it is a caterpillar or during its adult stage of life.[12]

Additional information

When there is a need for the kawakawa looper moth to camouflage itself the moth uses its brown colouration as well as its scalloped wing edges to help resemble bark or dead leaves. When they are in their younger stages of being a caterpillar their green colour helps them merge in with the green leaves of the kawakawa plant and when they are in their older caterpillar stages the brown colour helps them merge with twigs. These methods of camouflage have been known to protect the looper moth against attacks from birds. The way the kawakawa looper moth moves is by looping itself along its surface, bringing its back end up towards its front legs while using its proleg, a fleshy leg that occurs on an abdominal segment of some insect larvae but not in the adult. While Cleora scriptaria does not necessarily hold much if any cultural value its main host plant, Kawakawa, certainly does. It is known as one of the most important herbs for Traditional Maori medicine. The antimicrobial properties in the plant allow it to be used for treatment of wounds or cuts and even some skin conditions.

  • Larva
  • Adult

References
  1. "Cleora scriptaria (Walker, 1860)". Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  2. Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera-annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 1–264 – via Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd.
  3. Martin, N. A. (2017). "Kawakawa looper - Cleora scriptaria". Landcare Research.
  4. Walker, Frances (1860). "XXI: Geometrites (continued)". List of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. pt. 19–21: 277–498 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  5. http://nzacfactsheets.landcareresearch.co.nz/Index.html.
  6. http://www.terrain.net.nz/friends-of-te-henui-group/moths/moth-kawakawa-looper-cleora-scriptaria.html
  7. http://nzacfactsheets.landcareresearch.co.nz/Index.html
  8. "Cleora scriptaria (Kawakawa looper moth)". T.E.R.R.A.I.N. – Taranaki Educational Resource, Research, Analysis, and Information Network. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  9. Crowe, Andrew (2002). Which New Zealand Insect?. Auckland: Penguin. p. 21. ISBN 0141006366.
  10. "PlantSynz - Invertebrate herbivore biodiversity assessment tool: Database". plant-synz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2018-07-10.
  11. http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/a20705657/nematodes/
  12. http://nzacfactsheets.landcareresearch.co.nz/factsheet/InterestingInsects/Kawakawa-looper---Cleora-scriptaria.html
  • The kawakawa looper discussed on RNZ Critter of the Week, 11 August 2017
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