Tatosoma tipulata

This species was first described by Francis Walker in 1862 and named Cidaria tipulata using a specimen collected either at Hawke's Bay or Taupō by William Colenso.[3][2] Walker, thinking he was describing a new species, also named this moth Cidaria inclinataria.[3] In 1874 Arthur Gardiner Butler placed this species, then known as Cidaria agrionata var. tipulata, in the genus Tatosoma.[4] This species was again described by Cajetan von Felder and Alois Friedrich Rogenhofer in 1875 and named Sauris mistata.[5] In 1927 Louis Beethoven Prout synonymised Sauris mistata with T. tipulata.[6] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under the name T. tipulata in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[7] In 1939 Hudson again discussed and illustrated this species, giving descriptions of the egg, larvae and pupa as well as more details about the life cycle of this species.[8] In 1988 J. S. Dugdale synonymised C. inclinataria with T. tipulata.[2] The male lectotype is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[2]

Newly hatched larva.

Fully grown larva.

Hudson described the egg of this species as follows:

The egg is about 1-40th inch in length, oval, considerably flattened on each side and covered with very shallow hexagonal depressions; colour deep ochreous-yellow. It is laid on its side. About two days after being deposited the side becomes strongly concave and the colour changes to reddish-orange. Eggs were obtained early in December.[8]

Hudson described the newly emerged larvae of this species as follows:

The length of the newly-emerged larva is under 1-10th inch; it is stout, cylindrical, with the head and segment 2 very large, thence tapering to segment 5, and afterwards becoming slightly stouter; the anal flap is bifid, and the anal prolegs largely extended laterally; general colour bright yellow, slightly brownish on back, especially posteriorly; segmental divisions very distinct, deep yellow; a few very minute black warts.[8]

Hudson pointed out that when mature, the colouration of the larvae of this species is variable. He reared a variety of T. tipulata larvae to adulthood and confirmed their species upon the completion of each specimen's metamorphosis.[9] The pupa is just under 1 inch in length and is thin in appearance. It is a green brown colour but is a lighter shade on the wing-cases.[8]

Walker described the adults of this species as follows:

Male and female. Olive-green. Palpi as long as the breadth of the head ; third joint minute. Antennae stout, smooth. Abdomen cylindrical, slender, very long, especially in the male, extending in that sex for half its length beyond the hind wings, and nhaving a few black points on each side. Fore wings long, narrow, slightly rounded at the tips, with several undulating irregular brown or blackish lines ; middle space with two irregular approximate brownish bands ; discal streak brown ; fringe with pairs of black points ; exterior border extremely oblique. Hind wings cinereous; interior border excavated and with an inflated lappet towards the base. Length of the body 9 lines ; of the wings 18 lines.[3]

Hudson also described the adults of this species as follows:

The expansion of the wings is about 1+1⁄2 inches. The fore-wings are bright-green traversed by numerous black, wavy, transverse lines; these black lines are grouped into four more or less distinct bands, the outermost of which is interrupted at each of the veins; there is a conspicuous black dot in the middle of the wing, a number of small triangular, subterminal black marks and a series of minute terminal black dots. The hind-wings are ochreous, tinged with green towards the termen. In the female the abdomen is much shorter, and the hind-wings are larger than in the male. The palpi are fully twice as long as in the female of T. agrionata.[7]

T. tipulata is very similar in appearance to T. agrionata and can be confused with that species.[7] T. tipulata can be distinguished as it has a Z-shaped basal line and lacks the conspicuous large pale patch near tornus of T. agrionata. Robert Hoare has also stated that T. agrionata has is a very distinct black V on the forewing dorsum near the base that appears to be a distinguishing feature as it is not present on T. tipulata.

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[10] This species occurs in the North Island, in the South Island and also at Stewart Island.[11][12]

Larval host P. racemosa.

This species inhabits dense native forest.[7] The larval hosts of this species include Pterophylla racemosa, Nothofagus cliffortioides and Podocarpus totara with the larvae feeding on the leaves of these trees.[7][11][13]

The yellow coloured eggs have been observed being laid in December and from them emerges a small yellow larva.[12] The larva, when fully grown, is a bright green with lines of a different shade of green along its back.[12] It has a brown ridge along its side and a pale line above that.[12] The larvae pupates in a cocoon amongst the leaf litter on the ground under its food plant.[11] The pupation has been observed as taking place in early February with the adults emerging at the end of that month.[7] The pupa is a greenish brown in colour and is contained in a thin cocoon of silk.[12] Hudson believed that this species has two broods a year.[8]

Female T. tipulata at rest.

During the day the larva is sluggish, resting looped on the edge of a leaf.[8] This behaviour along with its colouration helps the larvae to camouflage itself against the leaves of its food plant.[8] Adults of this species are nocturnal and are sometimes attracted to light.[11] Adults of this species have also been collected via sugar traps.[7] Adults are most frequently observed on the wing from September until March.[11] During the day the adults rest on tree trunks and are camouflaged by moss growing on the same.[11]