Tingena nycteris
Male lectotype
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Oecophoridae
Genus: Tingena
Species:
T. nycteris
Binomial name
Tingena nycteris
(Meyrick, 1890)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Oecophora nycteris Meyrick, 1890
  • Borkhausenia nycteris (Meyrick, 1890)

Tingena nycteris is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae.[2] It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North and South Islands. This species inhabits native forest and scrubland and adults are on the wing from October to January.

Taxonomy

This species was described by Edward Meyrick in 1890 using specimens collected by George Hudson in Wellington in November and named Oecophora nycteris.[3] In 1915 Meyrick discussed this species under the name Borkhausenia nycteris.[4] In 1926 Alfred Philpott discussed and illustrated the genitalia of the male of this species.[5] In 1928 George Hudson also discussed and illustrated this species in his book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[6] In 1988 J. S. Dugdale placed this species within the genus Tingena.[7] The male lectotype is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[7]

Description

Male T. nycteris illustrated by George Hudson.
Female T. nycteris illustrated by George Hudson.

Meyrick described this species as follows:

♂♀. 14mm. Head, palpi, antennae, thorax, abdomen, and legs dark fuscous ; face pale greyish-ochreous ; palpi with second joint rough-scaled beneath ; posterior tarsi ringed with pale-ochreous. Forewings elongate, costa moderately arched, apex pointed, hindmargin very obliquely rounded; rather dark bronzy-fuscous ; a cloudy darker transverse mark at anal angle, reaching half across wing: cilia dark bronzy-fuscous. Hindwings dark fuscous, somewhat lighter towards base ; cilia dark fuscous.[3]

Hudson pointed out that this species is considerably variable and suggested that the North Island form of this species may possibly be a distinct species.[6] Hudson states that the males of this species are paler and smaller in the North Island in comparison to the males found in the South Island.[6] The female also varies in colour sometimes dark brown like the male others are paler with variegated colour.[6]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in Wellington, Otira River, Wyndham, Riverton, Dunedin and Invercargill.[1][6][4][8]

Behaviour

The adults of this species are on the wing from October to January.[6]

Habitat

This species inhabits open native forest and scrubland.[6]

Enemies

Fustiserphus intrudens

The larvae of T. nycteris play host to the parasitic fly Fustiserphus intrudens.[9]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tingena nycteris.
  1. 1 2 Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia : chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 462. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  2. 1 2 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: 103–104. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  3. 1 2 Edward Meyrick (May 1890). "Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 22: 219. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q110368863.
  4. 1 2 E. Meyrick (12 July 1915). "Revision of New Zealand Tineina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 47: 213. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q63123349.
  5. ↑ Alfred Philpott (1926). "List of New Zealand species of Borkhausenia (Oecophoridae: Lepidoptera), including new species". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 56: 399–413. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q110157185.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 268, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286
  7. 1 2 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: 103–104. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  8. ↑ "Tingena nycteris". Auckland Museum Collections Online. 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  9. ↑ J. W. Early; J. S. Dugdale (January 1994). "Fustiserphus (Hymenoptera: Proctotrupidae) parasitises Lepidoptera in leaf litter in New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 21 (3): 249–252. doi:10.1080/03014223.1994.9517992. ISSN 0301-4223. Wikidata Q110163411.
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