Orthoclydon chlorias

Orthoclydon chlorias is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand.

Orthoclydon chlorias
Female
Male
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Hexapoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Geometridae
Genus:	Orthoclydon
Species:	O. chlorias
Binomial name
Orthoclydon chlorias (Meyrick, 1883)
Synonyms
Larentia chlorias Meyrick, 1883 Venusia princeps Hudson, 1903 Xanthorhoe chlorias (Meyrick, 1883)

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1883 under the name Larentia chlorias.[1][2] Meyrick went on to give a more detailed description of the species in 1884.[3] In 1903 George Hudson, thinking he was describing the species for the first time, also named the species Venusia princeps.[4] In 1905 Meyrick synonymised this name and placed this species within the genus Xanthorhoe.[5] In 1928 Hudson illustrated and discussed this species in his book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand under its current name Orthoclydon chlorias.[6]

Description

Meyrick described the species as follows:

Male.— 30 mm. Forewings moderate, hindmargin hardly rounded; bright yellow; base of costa dark fuscous-purple; a curved row of three very small dark purple-fuscous spots about J, and another of four spots before middle, costal spots larger; a triangular purple blotch on costa before apex, reaching half across wing, anteriorly margined by a strongly sinuate bluish-black streak; a row of three dark purple-fuscous dots from apex of this to inner margin, and a subterminal row of six similar dots; cilia yellow. Hindwings moderate, hindmargin rounded; rather paler than forewings, with two curved posterior rows of cloudy purple-fuscous dots.[3]

Distribution

O. chlorias is endemic to New Zealand.[7] Meyrick first collected the species at near Castle Hill.[3] The moth has subsequently also been found at Mount Hector, Tararua range, Dun Mountain, and at Dunedin.[6]

Plant hosts

O. chlorias larvae feed on the leaves of Gaultheria species.[8]

References

1. Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 186. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
2. Meyrick, Edward (1883). "Monograph of New Zealand Geometrina [abstract]". New Zealand Journal of Science. 1: 526–531 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
3. Meyrick, Edward (1884). "A monograph of the New Zealand Geometrina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 16: 49–113 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
4. Hudson, G. V. (1903). "On some new species of Macro-lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 35: 243–245 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
5. Meyrick, Edward (1905). "Notes on New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions of the Entomological Society of London. 53: 219–244 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
6. Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 107. OCLC 25449322.
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. 460. ISBN 9781877257933. OCLC 973607714.
8. "Invertebrate herbivore biodiversity assessment - Orthoclydon chlorias". plant-synz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research. Retrieved 21 December 2018.