Dasyuris fulminea
Female
Male
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Dasyuris
Species:
D. fulminea
Binomial name
Dasyuris fulminea

Dasyuris fulminea is a species of moth in the family Geometridae.[1] It was first described by Alfred Philpott and is endemic to New Zealand. It has been observed in the regions of the West Coast, Fiordland and Otago. Adults are day flying and are on the wing from December until February.

Taxonomy

D. fulminea was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1915 using a male specimen collected by George Howes on Bold Peak in Otago in February.[2] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[3] The holotype specimen is held at Te Papa.[4]

Description

Illustration by George Hudson.

Philpott originally described this species as follows:

♂. 24 mm. Head black. Palpi densely haired, dark yellowish-brown. Antennae (broken). Thorax black with some yellow - brown scales. Abdomen black with yellow and grey scales, anal tuft yellowish. Forewings short, costa somewhat arched at base, very slightly deflexed at apex, termen rather strongly rounded; deep blackish-fuscous finely irrorated with yellow; fasciae pale yellowish-white (probably bright yellow in fresh specimens); basal fascia distinct, curved; first fascia from ⅓, broadest on costal half, with a sharp deep serration inwards below middle; second fascia broad, very slightly sinuate and becoming narrow near dorsum; traces of a narrow orange fascia on costa at middle and before apex: cilia orange. Hindwings dark fuscous irrorated with yellow; a prominent median yellow fascia, becoming narrow and bending inwardly on dorsum; an obscure irregular yellow subterminal line: cilia orange. Undersides: Forewings brownish-orange; upper lines partially reproduced and suffusedly margined with fuscous; several bright orange-brown blotches on costa hindwings brownish-orange; an outwardly oblique irregular white median fascia; a pale subterminal line.[2]

This species is similar in appearance to Dasyuris callicrena but can be distinguished as the lines on the forewings differ between the two species and the cilia of D. fulminea are only of one colour unlike those of D. callicrena.[2]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[5] Along with the type locality of Bold Peak, this species has also been observed in Fiordland as well as in the mountains in the West Coast.[6][7][8]

Behaviour

The adults of this species are day flying moths and are on the wing from December to February.[3][6][7]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dasyuris fulminea.
  1. 1 2 Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia : chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 459. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  2. 1 2 3 Alfred Philpott (12 July 1915). "Descriptions of new species of Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 47: 195. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q66084596.
  3. 1 2 George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 129, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286
  4. ↑ John Stewart Dugdale (23 September 1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. 14: 178. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  5. ↑ "Dasyuris fulminea Philpott, 1915". www.nzor.org.nz. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
  6. 1 2 "Dasyuris fulminea Philpott, 1915". Te Papa Online. 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Dasyuris fulminea Philpott, 1915". www.landcareresearch.co.nz. 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  8. ↑ annahenderson (2022-01-19). "Dasyuris fulminea". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2023-01-01.
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