Orthoclydon pseudostinaria

Orthoclydon pseudostinaria is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as critically endangered by the Department of Conservation.

Orthoclydon pseudostinaria
Female
Male

Nationally Critical (NZ TCS)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Hexapoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Geometridae
Genus:
Orthoclydon
Species:
O. pseudostinaria
Binomial name
Orthoclydon pseudostinaria
(Hudson, 1918)[2]
Synonyms
  • Xanthorhoe pseudostinaria Hudson, 1918

Taxonomy

This species was first described by George Vernon Hudson in 1918 under the name Xanthorhoe pseudostinaria.[3][4] Hudson subsequently placed the species within the genus Orthoclydon.[5]

Description

Hudson described the species as follows:

The expansion of the wings is ​1 1⁄8 inches. The fore wings are rather broad with the apex very slightly projecting and the termen slightly bowed ; cream-coloured with bright brown markings ; there is a narrow line along the costa ; a faint slightly curved line on the inner edge of the median band ; a small blackish discal dot; a straight, oblique, very strongly marked line from near the apex to the dorsum at ​3⁄4, and a very faint wavy subterminal line ; a dark brown terminal line is situated below the apex, where the cilia are also dark brown. The hind wings are cream-coloured with a conspicuous brown line across the middle and very faint traces of one basal and two subterminal lines. Except as above indicated the cilia of all the wings are cream-coloured.[3]

Distribution

O. pseudostinaria is endemic to New Zealand.[2][6] Hudson first collected the species at Otira.[3] The moth was subsequently also found to be present at Gouland Downs near Nelson as well as in the Nelson district, Mount Grey and White Rock in Canterbury.[5]

Plant hosts

The plant host of O. pseudostinaria is unknown. Given the rarity of the moth species it has been hypothesized that the host plant is also uncommon.[7]

Conservation status

In 1928 Hudson regarded this species as being very rare[5] and this moth is now classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification system as being Nationally Critical.[1]

References
  1. 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). Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Department of Conservation. p. 5. ISBN 9781988514383.
  2. "Orthoclydon pseudostinaria (Hudson, 1918)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  3. Hudson, George Vernon (1918). "Descriptions of new species of lepidoptera from New Zealand". The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine. series 3: vol. 4: 61–63. ISSN 0013-8908. Retrieved 30 April 2018 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  4. Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 186. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  5. Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 107.
  6. 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. 459. ISBN 9781877257933. OCLC 973607714.
  7. Patrick, Brian; Dugdale, John S. (2000). Conservation status of the New Zealand Lepidoptera (PDF). Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Conservation. pp. 1–20. ISBN 0478218672. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-05-01. Retrieved 2018-05-04.
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