Asaphodes obarata

Asaphodes obarata is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been collected in both the North and South Islands. It seems to inhabit the margins of native forest and also frequents plains with an affinity for gorse hedges. The host plants of the larvae of this species are unknown. The adults are on the wing in December and January. It is classified as critically endangered by the Department of Conservation. There has been a contraction of range of A. obarata with it now being regarded as locally extinct in both Dunedin and Invercargill.

Asaphodes obarata
Male
Female

Nationally Critical (NZ TCS)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Asaphodes
Species:
A. obarata
Binomial name
Asaphodes obarata
(Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875)[2]
Synonyms
  • Cidaria obarata Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875
  • Larentia obarata (Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875)
  • Xanthorhoe obarata (Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875)

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Cajetan Felder and Alois Friedrich Rogenhofer in 1875 as Cidaria obarata.[3] The female holotype specimen was collected by Thomas R. Oxley in Nelson and is held at the Natural History Museum in London.[4] Edward Meyrick placed the species within the genus Larentia in 1884.[5] In 1898 George Vernon Hudson placed the species within the genus Xanthorhoe.[6] In 1971 John S. Dugdale assigned Xanthorhoe obarata to the genus Asaphodes.[7] In 1988 Dugdale confirmed this placement in his catalogue of New Zealand Lepidoptera.[4]

Description
Illustration of A. obarata by George Hudson.

Hudson described A. obarata as follows:[6]

The expansion of the wings is barely 1 inch. The fore-wings are pale greyish-ochreous ; there is an interrupted reddish-brown transverse band near the base ; two faint, interrupted shaded blackish hues, one at about one-third and the other at about two-thirds, enclosing between them a large central area, which contains a very distinct black dot above the middle, and several irregular shaded black marks; beyond this there is a wavy reddish-brown band; the apex of the wing is somewhat projecting, and the termen is considerably bowed. The hind-wings are pale grey, with a paler central band, and numerous faint, wavy, darker grey lines. The cilia of all the wings are white, banded with dark grey.[6]

Distribution

Asaphodes obarata is endemic to New Zealand.[2][8] As well as Nelson, it has been collected in Wellington, Christchurch and at the foot of Mount Hutt.[6] It has also been collected at Waimarino and Ohakune in the North Island as well as Akaroa, Otira, Dunedin, Queenstown and Invercargill in the South Island.[9]

There has been a contraction of range in Dunedin and Southland and this species is now regarded as being locally extinct in both Dunedin and Invercargill.[10][11]

Ecology and habitat

Hudson states that this species could be found on the margins of forests[9] and R. W. Fereday communicated that it was a plain-frequenting species that has an affinity for gorse hedges.[6] Hudson also stated that adult moths were on the wing in December and January.[9]

Host plants

The host plants of this species are unknown.[11]

Conservation status

This moth is classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification system as being Nationally Critical.[1] It has been hypothesised that this species is under threat as a likely result of habitat loss.[12]

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Asaphodes obarata.
Wikispecies has information related to Asaphodes obarata.
  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. "Asaphodes obarata (Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  3. Felder, Cajetan; Rogenhofer, Alois Friedrich (1864–1867). "Reise der österreichischen Fregatte Novara". Reise der österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859 unter den Befehlen des Commodore B. Von W. pt.9:Bd.2:Abt.2 (1864-1867) Atlas: cxxxiii fig 33 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  4. Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 174. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  5. Meyrick, Edward (1884). "A monograph of the New Zealand Geometrina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 16: 49–113. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  6. Hudson, G. V. (1898). New Zealand moths and butterflies (macro-lepidoptera). London: Newman & Co. p. 66. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.7912.
  7. Dugdale, J. S. (10 November 1971). "Entomology of the Aucklands and other Islands south of New Zealand: Lepidoptera, excluding non-Crambine Pyralidae" (PDF). Pacific Insects Monograph. 27: 55–172 – via Bishop Museum.
  8. 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.
  9. Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 121.
  10. Patrick, Brian H. (2017). "Ecology and conservation of the rare moth Asaphodes frivola Meyrick". The Weta. 47: 17–38. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  11. Patrick, Brian; Dugdale, John S. (2000). Conservation status of the New Zealand Lepidoptera (PDF). Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Conservation. p. 20. ISBN 0478218672.
  12. Brian, Patrick (2000). Conservation status of two rare New Zealand geometrid moths (PDF). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Conservation. ISBN 0478219466. OCLC 54078998.
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