Sabatinca bimacula

Naturally Uncommon (NZ TCS)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Micropterigidae
Genus: Sabatinca
Species:
S. bimacula
Binomial name
Sabatinca bimacula
Gibbs, 2014[2]

Sabatinca bimacula is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae.[3] This species is endemic to New Zealand and has only been found in the Percy Valley and on Secretary Island in Fiordland.[2] This species is sexually dimorphic with the male of the species having an L-shaped marking on the forewing while in the female the L-shaped marking is much broader and takes up most of the half of the forewing nearest the abdomen. The adults of this species are on the wing in the second half of October. Larvae of this species feed on the liverwort Bazzania involuta. The host species of adult S. bimacula are unknown but are likely to be fern spores or pollen from Sedge grasses. As at 2017 S. bimacula has been classified as having the "At Risk, Naturally Uncommon" conservation status under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.

Taxonomy

This species was described by George Gibbs in 2014.[3] The male holotype specimen was collected in Percy Valley, Fiordland and is held in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.[3]

Description

Gibbs described the adults of this species as follows:

iridescent purple species, with silvery-white fasciae dominated by a basal L-shaped marking along anal margin and across full width of forewing at about mid-length.[3]

This species is sexually dimorphic with the male of the species having an L-shaped marking on the forewing while in the female the L-shaped marking is much broader and takes up most of the half of the forewing nearest the abdomen.[3]

Distribution

Secretary Island, one of the known locations of S. bimacula.

This species has only been found in the Percy Valley and on Secretary Island, both locations in Fiordland.[3] It has been hypothesised that the species may well occur more widely throughout Fiordland but that it is likely very local in its occurrence.[3]

Behaviour

This species has only been recorded as being on the wing from the middle to the end of October.[3]

Host species

The larvae of S. bimacula lives on Bazzania involuta.[4] The host species of adult S. bimacula are unknown but are likely to be fern spores or pollen from Sedge grasses.[3]

Conservation status

S. bimacula has been classified as having the "At Risk, Naturally Uncommon" conservation status under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[1][5]

References

  1. 1 2 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). New Zealand Threat Classification Series. 20: 8.
  2. 1 2 "Sabatinca bimacula Gibbs, 2014". www.nzor.org.nz. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 George W. Gibbs (30 June 2014). "Micropterigidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera)" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. 72. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.72. ISSN 0111-5383. OCLC 917549814. Wikidata Q44902221. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 February 2021.
  4. ↑ Glime, Janice M. (2017). "Chapter 12: Terrestrial Insects: Holometabola – Lepidoptera: Micropterigoidea – Gelechioidea". Bryophyte Ecology. Vol. 2. Michigan Technological University.
  5. ↑ "Sabatinca bimacula Gibbs, 2014". nztcs.org.nz. 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
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