Asaphodes chlorocapna

Asaphodes chlorocapna is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and can only be found in the Chatham Islands. The larvae of this species consume the leaves of Muehlenbeckia plants. Adults are on the wing in January. This species is classified as "At Risk, Relict'" by the Department of Conservation.

Asaphodes chlorocapna
Male

Relict (NZ TCS)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Asaphodes
Species:
A. chlorocapna
Binomial name
Asaphodes chlorocapna
(Meyrick, 1925)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Xanthorhoe chlorocapna Meyrick, 1925

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1925 as Xanthorhoe chlorocapna using a specimen collected by Stewart Lindsay at Mangere Island, in the Chatham Islands.[2][3] George Hudson discussed and illustrated the species in 1928 using the name Xanthorhoe chlorocapna.[4] In 1987 R. C. Craw placed this species within the genus Asaphodes.[5] The holotype specimen is held at the Canterbury Museum.[2]

Description
Illustration of male A. chlorocapna by George Hudson.

Meyrick described the species as follows:

♂︎ 24-26 mm. Head, palpi, thorax pale greyish-ochreous irrorated blackish. Antennal pectinations ten ; forewings with termen slightly bowed, rather oblique ; light smoky-grey suffusedly irrorated dark fuscous ; costal area from base to 4⁄5 rather broadly suffused pale greyish-ochreous, with groups of two antemedian, and three postmedian dark fuscous shades crossing it, but becoming obsolete downwards ; discal spot small, transverse, dark fuscous ; cilia whitish, basal half dark grey. Hind wings dark grey ; cilia whitish, basal third grey.[3]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[1][6] It can only be found in the Chatham Islands where it can be found on Mangere Island, Pitt Island and Rangatira Island.[7]

Biology and life cycle

Adult moths are on the wing in January.[4]

Host plants and habitat

The larvae of this moth consume the fallen leaves of Muehlenbeckia species.[7]

Conservation status

This moth is classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification system as being "At Risk, Relict".[8]

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Asaphodes chlorocapna.
Wikispecies has information related to Asaphodes chlorocapna.
  1. "Asaphodes chlorocapna (Meyrick, 1925)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  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: 172. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  3. Edward Meyrick (1925). "Lepidoptera of the Chatham Islands". Records of the Canterbury Museum. 2 (5): 269–275. ISSN 0370-3878. Wikidata Q110706860.
  4. George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington, p. 114, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. R. C. Craw (April 1987). "Revision of the genus Helastia sensu stricto with description of a new genus (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Larentiinae)". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 14 (2): 269–293. doi:10.1080/03014223.1987.10422997. ISSN 0301-4223. Wikidata Q54670161.
  6. 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.
  7. Patrick, Brian; Dugdale, John S. (2000). Conservation status of the New Zealand lepidoptera (PDF). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Conservation, New Zealand. p. 19. ISBN 978-0478218671. OCLC 154670803.
  8. 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.
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