Batrachedra litterata

Batrachedra litterata is a species of moth in the family Batrachedridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been collected in the North and South Islands. This species has been reared on the fern species Blechnum chambersii. Adults are on the wing in November and December.

Batrachedra litterata
Female holotype specimen
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Batrachedridae
Genus: Batrachedra
Species:
B. litterata
Binomial name
Batrachedra litterata

Taxonomy

This species was first described in 1928 by Alfred Philpott from specimens collected by Dr A. J. Turner in Greymouth in February.[2][3] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species both in his 1939 book A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[4] The holotype specimen is held at the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.[3]

Description
Illustration of B. litterata.

Philpott described this species as follows:

♀. 10–11 mm. Head and thorax whitish-ochreous. Palpi whitish-ochreous, marked with brown outwardly. Antennae ochreous annulated with brown. Legs whitish-ochreous, anterior pair infuscated, tarsi faintly annulated with paler. Forewings whitish-ochreous, darker apically, round apex black: fringes greyish-fuscous, round apex ochreous. Hindwings greyish-fuscous.[2]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[1][5] Along with its type locality of Greymouth, this species has also been collected in Claverley, in Canterbury as well as in the Waitākere Ranges.[4][6]

Behaviour

The adults of this species are on the wing in November and December.[6][4]

Host
B. chambersii, host species of B. litterata.

B. litterata have been reared on the fern species Blechnum chambersii.[7]

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Batrachedra litterata.
  1. "Batrachedra litterata Philpott, 1928". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2018-06-08.
  2. Alfred Philpott (19 March 1928). "Notes and Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 58: 359–370. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q109524279.
  3. Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 1–264. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  4. Hudson, G. V. (1939). A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 442. OCLC 221041540. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  5. Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia : chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 457. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  6. "Batrachedra litterata". Auckland Museum Collections Online. 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-01-21. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  7. "Batrachedra litterata - Invertebrate herbivore biodiversity report". plant-synz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2019-07-21.
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