Proditrix chionochloae

Proditrix chionochloae is a species of moth in the family Glyphipterigidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as "At Risk, Declining'" by the Department of Conservation.

Proditrix chionochloae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Plutellidae
Genus:
Proditrix
Species:
P. chionochloae
Binomial name
Proditrix chionochloae

Taxonomy

P. chionochloae was described by John S. Dugdale in 1987 using specimens collected by him at the Pouakai Range in Taranaki.[2][3] The holotype specimen is held in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.[3]

Description

Both the male and female adults have wings and their wingspan is 25mm.[2] This moth is similar in appearance to Proditrix megalynta with its buff coloured body and legs but P. chionochloae have a greater number of dark spots on the top of their wings.[2] P. chionochloae can also be distinguished as its genital characteristics are different from P. megalynta and they have a longer third segment of the labial palpi.[2]

Pouakai Range

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[1][4] It can only be found in Taupo and Taranaki at the Pouakai Range.[5][2]

Host plant
Chionochloa rubra

The host plant of this species is Chionochloa rubra.[2]

Conservation status

This moth is classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification system as being "At Risk, Declining".[6] One of the reasons for this classification is that the host plant of this species is being invaded by heather in Taupo localities.[5]

References
  1. "Proditrix chionochloae Dugdale, 1987". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  2. Dugdale, J. S. (1987). "Proditrix, a new genus for Titanomis tetragona Hudson and Plutella megalynta Meyrick and allies (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae), shoot destroyers of Monocotyledones". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 14: 99–112. doi:10.1080/03014223.1987.10422687.
  3. 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.
  4. 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. 463. ISBN 9781877257933. OCLC 973607714.
  5. Patrick, Brian; Dugdale, John S. (2000). Conservation status of the New Zealand lepidoptera (PDF). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Conservation, New Zealand. p. 30. ISBN 0478218672. OCLC 154670803.
  6. 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. 7. ISBN 9781988514383.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.