Asaphodes recta

This species was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1905 using specimens collected from Ida Valley and named Xanthorhoe recta.[3] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under that name in 1928.[4] In 1939 Louis Beethoven Prout placed this species in the genus Larentia.[5] This placement was not accepted by New Zealand taxonomists.[6] In 1971 J. S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Asaphodes.[7] In 1988 Dugdale confirmed this placement.[2] The male holotype specimen, collected at Ida Valley in Otago, is held at the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.[2]

Illustration of A. recta by George Hudson.

Philpott described this species as:

♂, 31 mm. Head, thorax, and abdomen ochreous. Forewings moderate, greyish-ochreous, irregularly suffused with reddish especially towards costa, markings brownish ; first line before 1⁄3, curved, anteriorly edged with grey ; median bandformed of three or four thin lines with narrow spaces of ground-colour between ; the first of these is almost straight and rather darker than the others ; the posterior edge of the last one is irregular with two strong projections below middle ; this is followed by a narrow band of pale-greyish, almost white in some examples ; a broad band of brown from 4⁄5 of costa to tornus, posteriorly waved and followed by a waved pale line ; cilia long, brownish-pink. Hind wings long, narrow, pale-yellow ; a terminal series of indistinct linear brownish spots ; cilia pink.[3]

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[1] Along with the type locality, specimens had also been collected near Dunedin and Invercargill.[3][4]

The preferred habitat of this species is open tussock grassland in Otago and Southland.[4][3]

The adults of this species are on the wing in February and March.[4]

Larvae of this species have been reared on species in the genera Ranunculus and Bellis.[8]