Batrachedra psithyra

Batrachedra psithyra, the spleenwort spore-eater, is a species of moth of the family Batrachedridae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species has been observed in the North, South and Matiu / Somes Islands. This species inhabits overgrown grasslands or fern glades and have also been observed in gumland heath. The larvae of this species feed on fern sori including those on Histiopteris incisa. Adults are on the wing from November to January and tends to fly at sunset. At rest this species raises the front part of its body and when moving waves alternate antennae.

Batrachedra psithyra
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Batrachedridae
Genus: Batrachedra
Species:
B. psithyra
Binomial name
Batrachedra psithyra
Synonyms[2]
  • Batrachedra psathyra (Meyrick, 1889)

Taxonomy

Batrachedra psithyra was described in 1889 by Edward Meyrick using material he collected in Hamilton.[2][3] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 publication The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand under the name Batrachedra psathyra.[4] The lectotype specimen is held by the Natural History Museum, London.[2]

Description
Batrachedra psithyra

The larva of this species is small and pale.[5] When mature it is between 5 and 6 mm long with a head that is light brown.[5]

Meyrick described the species as follows:

♂︎. 7-10mm. Head, thorax, and abdomen pearly white. Palpi white, second joint with a blackish sub-apical ring, scales slightly projecting, terminal joint with a blackish basal ring. Antennae white, indistinctly ringed with pale fuscous. Legs white, indistinctly banded with fuscous. Forewings elongate, very narrow, long-pointed ; veins 6 and 7 stalked ; white, more or less sprinkled with fuscous ; a dark fuscous elongate dot in disc before middle, a second very obliquely before it on fold, and a third in disc beyond 2⁄3 ; a sharply-marked black apical dot : cilia whitish, with a black line opposite apex only. Hindwings with veins 2, 3, and 5 absent ; whitish ; cilia whitish.[3]

The small dark dot and line of scales right at the end tip of the wing is characteristic of this species.[6]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[1][7] Specimens have been collected in Kaeo, Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Queenstown and Invercargill.[3][4] It has also been found in Fiordland,[8] and on Somes Island.[9]

Biology and behaviour

The larvae of this species lives under its host fern fronds feeding on spores.[5] It creates an "H" shaped silken cocoon and pupates within the cross bar that cocoon.[5] The adult moths of this species is on the wing from November to January.[4] It flies freely at sunset.[4] Hudson stated it was common in the upper parts of the Wellington Reservoir Reserve, an area now known as Zealandia.[4] At rest, this species raises the forepart of its body and when about to move has a habit of waving alternate antennae.[4]

Habitat and host species

The species prefers rough overgrown habitat of grasslands or fern glades near forest.[4] This species has also been found in gumland heath habitat.[10] The larvae of this species feed on fern sori and hosts include species in the genus Asplenium as well as the species Histiopteris incisa.[11][12][5]

References
  1. "Batrachedra psithyra Meyrick, 1889". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2017-01-20.
  2. 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.
  3. Meyrick, Edward (1889). "Descriptions of New Zealand Micro-lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 21: 154–188 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  4. Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 303. OCLC 25449322.
  5. Andrew Crowe (2004). Life-Size Guide to New Zealand Native Ferns: Featuring the unique caterpillars which feed on them. p. 12. ISBN 0-14-301924-4. Wikidata Q115211440.
  6. Hoare, Robert (2019). "Batrachedra psithyra". iNaturalist. Archived from the original on 2022-01-21. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  7. 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.
  8. Clarke, C. E. (1933). "The Lepidoptera of the Te Anau-Manapouri lakes districts". Transactions and Proceedings of the Institute of New Zealand. 63 (2): 112–132.
  9. Grehan, J. R. (January 1990). "Invertebrate survey of Somes Island (Matiu) and Mokopuna Island, Wellington Harbour, New Zealand" (PDF). New Zealand Entomologist. 13 (1): 62–75. doi:10.1080/00779962.1990.9722595. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  10. Hoare, R. J. B. (February 2011). "Lepidoptera of gumland heaths — a threatened and rare ecosystem of northern New Zealand" (PDF). New Zealand Entomologist. 34 (1): 67–76. doi:10.1080/00779962.2011.9722212. S2CID 86494641. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-02-08. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  11. "PlantSynz - Invertebrate herbivore biodiversity assessment tool: Database". plant-synz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2018-06-09.
  12. Lindsay, Stewart (1927). "A list of the Lepidoptera of Dean's Bush, Riccarton, Canterbury". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 57: 693–696.
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