Notoreas elegans

Notoreas elegans is a species of moth in the family Geometridae, endemic to New Zealand. This species has a wide distribution in New Zealand and is therefore regarded as not being in need of conservation.

Notoreas elegans
Female
Male
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Notoreas
Species:
N. elegans
Binomial name
Notoreas elegans
Patrick & Hoare, 2010[1]

Taxonomy and etymology

This species was first described in 2010 by Brian Patrick and Robert J.B. Hoare.[2] The epithet elegans means elegant and was used to honour the attractive colouration and pattern on the wings of the adult moth.[2]

Description

When mature N. elegans larvae have a brown head, a bright green body with a band on its dorsal side coloured white with pink and yellow hints.[2] The subdorsal portion of the larvae has some white shading and there is also a lateral band of pale white pink.

Adult moths of this species have bright orange and white markings on their forewings with orange and black-marked hindwings.[2] N. elegans is similar in appearance to its close relations N. edwardsi and N. casanova.[2]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[1] N. elegans occurs at elevations of between 150 and 1900 metres in the valleys and alpine areas of the Mackenzie Basin, South Canterbury, Otago and Fiordland.[2]

Life cycle and behaviour

This species normally produces two broods per year but it has been hypothesised that at some localities it may produce only once in a season.[2] The female moth lays her eggs within the flower buds of their host plant.[3] When the larvae emerge from their eggs, they eat into the leaves or buds of their host, hiding from predators.[3] Once they are large enough, they emerge to feed from the fresh growth of the plant.[3] N. elegans pupate in a loose cocoon on the ground under their host.[3] The species spends approximately 43 days in their cocoon before emerging as an adult.[2] N. elegans are day flying moths.[3] They are low but fast flyers and constantly vibrate their wings to enable them to take off rapidly.[3]

Host species

The host plants for the larvae of N. elegants are endemic species within the genus Pimelea.[2][4] These include Pimelea aridula, Pimelea oreophila, Pimelea pseudolyallii, Pimelea sericeovillosa and Pimelea traversii.[4]

Conservation status

This species has a wide distribution in New Zealand and is therefore regarded as not being in need of conservation.[2]

References

  1. "Notoreas elegans Patrick & Hoare, 2010". www.nzor.org.nz. Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research.
  2. Patrick, BH; Hoare, RJB; Rhode, BE (2010). "Taxonomy and conservation of allopatric moth populations: a revisionary study of the Notoreas perornata Walker complex (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Larentiinae), with special reference to southern New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 37 (4): 257–283. doi:10.1080/03014223.2010.511127.
  3. Patrick, Brian (Autumn 2015). "Discovering New Zealand's gorgeous moths" (PDF). Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. No. 12. New Zealand: Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand Trust. p. 13.
  4. "PlantSynz - Invertebrate herbivore biodiversity assessment". plant-synz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research. Report generated when site is accessed.
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