Asaphodes abrogata

Asaphodes abrogata is a moth in the family Geometridae.[2] It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found from the central North Island as well as the South Island. This species is inhabits open country at altitudes of between 2000 and 4000 ft. Larvae have been reared on Plantago species including Plantago coronopus. It has been recommended that Plantago raoulii be planted to attracted this species. Adults are on the wing in February and March.

Asaphodes abrogata
Male specimen
Female specimen
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Asaphodes
Species:
A. abrogata
Binomial name
Asaphodes abrogata
(Walker, 1862)[1]
Synonyms[2][3]
  • Aspilates abrogata Walker, 1862
  • Thyone abrogata (Walker, 1862)
  • Fidonia servularia Guenée, 1868

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Francis Walker in 1862 and named Aspilates abrogata, using a specimen collected by P. Earl in Waikouaiti.[4] In 1883 Edward Meyrick placed this species in the Thyone genus and synonymised Fidonia servularia with this species.[5] He discussed this placement and the species in 1884.[6] In 1885 Meyrick replaced the genus name Thyone with Asaphodes.[7] He explained in 1886 that when naming several new genera he had used names that had already been employed and that he had to correct this error.[8] As such he renamed the genus Thyone with the name Asaphodes.[8] In 1898 George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under the name Asaphodes abrogata.[9] Hudson did the same again in his 1928 publication The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[10] In 1971 J. S. Dugdale confirmed the placement of this species in the genus Asaphodes.[11] In 1988 Dugdale confirmed this placement in his catalogue of New Zealand Lepidoptera.[2] The holotype of this species is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[2]

Description
Asaphodes abrogata at rest.

Walker described the species as follows:

Male. Pale luteous. Palpi porrect, fringed, rather slender, extending beyond the head. Antennae rather broadly pectinated ; branches remote from each other. Wings with a brown marginal band, which is incomplete in the fore wing. Fore wings slightly acute ; exterior and submarginal lines brownish, undulating, almost parallel, the later apparent here and there on the hind wings. ; costa and exterior border slightly convex, the latter rather oblique. Wings beneath with broader and more distinct lines. Length of the body 5 lines ; of the wings 12 lines.[4]

The distinctiveness of the brown markings of this species is variable and there is sometimes a transverse line near the base of the forewings.[9]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand and can be found in the central North Island as well as the South Island.[1][12][13]

Behaviour

The adults of this species are on the wing in February and March.[9] Adults are attracted to light.[14]

Habitat and hosts
Plantago coronopus, larval host species.

This species is inhabits open country at altitudes of between 2000 and 4000 ft.[9] Larvae have been reared on Plantago species including Plantago coronopus.[13][15] It has been recommended to plant the endemic species Plantago raoulii to attract this species of moth.[16]

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Asaphodes abrogata.
  1. "Asaphodes abrogata (Walker, 1862)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  2. John Stewart Dugdale (23 September 1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. 14: 171. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  3. Natural History Museum; Pitkin, Brian; Jenkins, Paul (2023). "Thyone". www.nhm.ac.uk. doi:10.5519/s93616qw. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
  4. Walker, Francis (1862). "XXIV: Geometrites (continued)". List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum. pt. 22-24: 1021–1280 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  5. Edward Meyrick (September 1883). "Descriptions of New Zealand Micro-Lepidoptera.—III.—Oecophoridae". New Zealand Journal of Science. 1: 522–525. Wikidata Q106368126.
  6. Edward Meyrick (May 1884). "A Monograph of the New Zealand Geometrina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 16: 61. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q109615359.
  7. Edward Meyrick (1885). "Notes on the nomenclature of the New Zealand Geometrina". New Zealand Journal of Science. 2: 589. Wikidata Q109608428.
  8. Edward Meyrick (May 1886). "Notes on Nomenclature of New Zealand". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 18: 184. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q109615399.
  9. George Vernon Hudson (1898), New Zealand moths and butterflies (Macro-lepidoptera), Illustrator: George Hudson, London, p. 55, doi:10.5962/BHL.TITLE.7912, OCLC 980865393, Wikidata Q19073637{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  10. George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington, pp. 107–108, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  11. J. S. Dugdale (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.
  12. Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia : chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 459. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  13. White, E.G. (2002). New Zealand tussock grassland moths : a taxonomic and ecological handbook based on light-trapping studies in Canterbury. Lincoln, New Zealand: Manaaki Whenua Press. p. 260. ISBN 0478093454.
  14. Wood, J. (January 1973). "A List of Lepidoptera Taken in Light Traps at Winchmore Irrigation Research Station". New Zealand Entomologist. 5 (3): 284–290. doi:10.1080/00779962.1973.9723023. ISSN 0077-9962.
  15. Brian H. Patrick (April 2000). Conservation status of two rare New Zealand geometrid moths (PDF). pp. 1–21. ISBN 0-478-21946-6. ISSN 1173-2946. Wikidata Q109608608. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
  16. Hamish J. H. Patrick; Mike H. Bowie; Barry W. Fox; Brian H. Patrick (2011). "The moths of Quail Island (Ōtamahua): a faunal comparison of an island under restoration with other sites on Banks Peninsula". New Zealand Natural Sciences. 36. doi:10.26021/583. ISSN 0113-7492. Wikidata Q97665452.
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