Meterana exquisita
Female
Male

Relict (NZ TCS)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Meterana
Species:
M. exquisita
Binomial name
Meterana exquisita
(Philpott, 1903)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Melanchra exquisita Philpott, 1903

Meterana exquisita (also known as the exquisite owlet moth)[3] is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as "At Risk, Relict'" by the Department of Conservation.

Taxonomy

This species was first described and illustrated by Alfred Philpott in 1903 and was given the name Melanchra exquisita.[1] Philpott used a male specimen he collected at West Plains in Southland in December.[4] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[5] In 1988 John S. Dugdale placed this species within the genus Meterana.[2] The hototype specimen is held at the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.[2]

Description

The larvae of this species are large, angular and green coloured with thin red and white lines.[6]

Philpott originally described the male of the species as follows:

♂︎. 32 mm. Head and palpi greenish ; tips of palpi and outward surfaces blackish ; two linear black marks on crown of head. Antennae brownish, shortly bipectinated. Legs greenish, annulated with black. Thorax with moderate bifid anterior and posterior crest ; green, with black irregular V-shaped mark, the apex towards head. Abdomen dull-yellowish, anal segments black ; also blackish on sides of segments, and dorsal series of black spots. Fore wings : Costa almost straight, apex rounded ; termen not crenulate, obliquely rounded, bright-green, black suffusion from base obliquely towards dorsum, terminating in oblique black white-margined upwardly bent projection at 1⁄4; distinct white irregularly black-margined line from costa near base to black suffusion, irregular interrupted white -margined black line from about 1⁄4 of costa to before 1⁄2 of dorsum, several irregular projections at middle of wing, and upper half of line forked ; irregular black outwardly white-margined band at 1⁄2, outwardly oblique to middle of wing, thence inwardly oblique to dorsum, on which broadly and irregularly clavate ; costa with alternate black and white dots ; reniform spot obscurely outlined in black, edged with white ; dentate black line beyond reniform, indentations filled with white ; strong subterminal black line, interrupted above and below middle, broadly and suffusedly white-margined. Cilia green, barred with black, and with an indistinct darker line. Hind wings pale greenish-yellow, with brownish suffusion on apical portion ; an irregular line at 2⁄3 , and discal spot of same colour. Cilia pale-green.[4]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[7] M. exquisita has occurred in Auckland, Waikato, Taupō, Whanganui, Wairarapa, Nelson, South Canterbury, Mackenzie country, Central Otago, Otago Lakes and Southland.[8] However this species is now locally extinct in its type locality of West Plains and is almost wiped out in Auckland.[8]

Life cycle and behaviour

This species has only one generation a year.[9] The larvae are bright green coloured and as a result are well camouflaged when feeding on their host species.[9] Larvae feed for one month before they pupate.[9] M. exquisita are on the wing from August to December but are most common from September to October.[9] The species can fly for at least 800m from their nearest host plant.[6] This species has been collected at sugar traps.[4]

Host species and habitat

Host Olearia odorata

The plant host species for the larvae of M. exquisita are small-leaved Olearia species.[8][9] These include O. hectorii, O. odorata,[8] and O. bullata.[10]

Conservation status

This moth is classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification system as being "At Risk, Relict".[11] One of the reasons for this classification is that the habitat of this species is under threat from land development.[8] The elimination of the host plants of this species has resulted in their extinction from sites in New Zealand.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 "Meterana exquisita (Philpott, 1903)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
  2. 1 2 3 Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera-annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 207 – via Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd.
  3. ↑ Maanaki Whenua Landcare Research (October 2016). "Shedding light on the night – a citizen science programme to study moths" (PDF). Open space. 91: 14–15 – via qeiinationaltrust.org.nz.
  4. 1 2 3 Philpott, Alfred (1903). "On some new species of Lepidoptera (moths) from Southland". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 35: 246–249 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  5. ↑ Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 63.
  6. 1 2 Pawson, S.M.; Emberson, R.M. (2000). "The conservation status of invertebrates in Canterbury" (PDF). Conservation Advisory Science Notes. 320: 1–64.
  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. 1 2 3 4 5 Patrick, Brian; Dugdale, John S. (2000). Conservation status of the New Zealand lepidoptera (PDF). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Conservation, New Zealand. p. 32. ISBN 0478218672. OCLC 154670803.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Patrick, Brian (2000). Lepidoptera of small-leaved divaricating Olearia in New Zealand and their conservation priority (PDF). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Conservation, New Zealand. ISBN 0478220154. OCLC 48661253.
  10. ↑ Lambert, Michelle Teresa (2015). "Ecology of the declining Olearia lineata and not-threatened Olearia bullata in human-modified environments and implications for their conservation" (PDF). www.ir.canterbury.ac.nz. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  11. ↑ Hoare, R.J.B.; Dugdale, J.S.; Edwards, E.D.; Gibbs, G.W.; Patrick, B.H.; Hitchmough, R.A.; Rolfe, J.R. (2017). Conservation status of New Zealand butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera), 2015 (PDF). Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Department of Conservation. p. 8. ISBN 9781988514383.
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