Stigmella insignis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nepticulidae
Genus: Stigmella
Species:
S. insignis
Binomial name
Stigmella insignis
(Philpott, 1927)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Nepticula insignis Philpott, 1927

Stigmella insignis is a moth of the family Nepticulidae.[3] It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the Hawkes Bay as well as in the north west of the South Island. S. insignis inhabits montane to subalpine grasslands. The larvae of S. insignis are leaf miners. They likely feed on Celmisia spectabilis. Adults of this species have been observed on the wing in March, November and December.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1927 using three male specimens he collected at Salisbury's Opening on the Mount Arthur Tableland at 4,000 ft. in November.[4] Philpott originally named the species Nepticula insignis.[4][2] In 1939 George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under that name in his book A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[2][5] In 1988 J. S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Stigmella.[2] This placement was confirmed by Hans Donner and Christopher Wilkinson in 1989.[6] The male holotype specimen is held in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.[2]

Description

Illustration of male S. insignis by George Hudson.

Philpott described this species as follows:

n. sp. ♂. 5–6 mm Head white, sometimes ochreous tinged. Antennae fuscous, eye-cap whitish. Thorax ochreous. Abdomen dark fuscous. Forewings white with much admixture of ochreous, especially on basal portion and in disc; a black spot on fold at ¼, sometimes absent; a prominent black spot in disc at ½,. usually elongate; a black spot, large or small, before apex; fringes fuscous-grey with several rows of ochreous points round apex and termen. Hindwings and fringes fuscous-grey.[4]

Donner and Wilkinson described the male of the species as follows:

Head. Frontal tuft, scape, and collar white; antenna grey-brown, comprising about 35 segments, lustrous, reflecting purple and copper. Thorax silvery white. Forewing about 3.5 mm long, silvery white with scattered yellow scales; a small, postbasal black spot sometimes extending caudally and anally, and a distal black spot varying from almost absent to covering terminal fifth of wing; fringe silvery grey. Hindwing silvery grey; fringe concolorous. Abdomen silvery brown.[6]

The female is visually similar to the male with the exception of their antenna which have 28 segments.[6] S. insignis is larger than the similar species S. oriastra and lacks the orange forewing scales of S. laqueorum.[6]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[7][1] This species has been observed in the Hawkes Bay as well as in the north west of the South Island.[6]

Behaviour

Adults have been recorded in March, November and December.[6]

Habitat and hosts

Leaves of likely host species C. spectabilis.

S. insignis inhabits montane to subalpine grasslands.[6] The larvae probably feed on Celmisia spectabilis.[8] J. S. Dugdale stated he collected specimens on the rosettes of C. spectabilis.[6] They mine the leaves of their host plant.[6]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stigmella insignis.
Wikispecies has information related to Stigmella insignis.
  1. 1 2 "Stigmella insignis (Philpott, 1927)". biotanz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 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: 53. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  3. ↑ Erik J van Nieukerken; Camiel Doorenweerd; Robert J B Hoare; Donald R Davis (31 October 2016). "Revised classification and catalogue of global Nepticulidae and Opostegidae (Lepidoptera, Nepticuloidea)". ZooKeys. 628 (628): 65–246. doi:10.3897/ZOOKEYS.628.9799. ISSN 1313-2989. PMC 5126388. PMID 27917038. Wikidata Q28109648.
  4. 1 2 3 Alfred Philpott (15 August 1927). "Notes and Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 58: 89. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q107580217.
  5. ↑ George Vernon Hudson (1939), A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 469, OCLC 9742724, Wikidata Q109420935
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Hans Donner; Christopher Wilkinson (28 April 1989). "Nepticulidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera)" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. 16: 25–26. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.16. ISSN 0111-5383. OCLC 924829916. Wikidata Q45079930. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 July 2021.
  7. ↑ Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia : chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 461. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  8. ↑ "PlantSynz - Invertebrate herbivore biodiversity assessment tool: Database". plant-synz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
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