Trachypepla hieropis
Male holotype
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Oecophoridae
Genus: Trachypepla
Species:
T. hieropis
Binomial name
Trachypepla hieropis

Trachypepla hieropis is a moth of the family Oecophoridae first described by Edward Meyrick in 1892.[1] It is endemic to New Zealand and has been collected in both the North and South Islands. This species inhabits native forest and the larvae feed on leaf litter. Adults are on the wing in December and are attracted to light.

Taxonomy

This species was first described in 1892 by Edward Meyrick using a male specimen collected by George Hudson in Wellington.[2][3] The male holotype is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[3]

Description

Illustration of female

Meyrick described this species as follows:

♂. 13mm. Head, palpi, and antennae dark fuscous. Thorax snow-white, anterior margin dark fuscous. Abdomen grey. Legs dark fuscous, posterior pair grey-whitish. Fore-wings elongate, apex round - pointed, hindmargin extremely obliquely rounded ; snow-white ; base of costa blackish ; a short dark-grey streak, narrowed anteriorly, along costa from 2⁄5 to 2⁄3 ; a dark-grey trapezoidal dorsal blotch, extending on inner margin from before middle to 4⁄5, not reaching half across wing, upper anterior angle occupied by a brownish-tinged tuft ; some grey scales indicating a streak from anal angle, reaching half across wing; a cloudy dark-grey elongate-triangular spot along hindmargin ; an irregular black mark running round apex : cilia grey, mixed with white towards base. Hindwings rather dark grey ; cilia grey.[2]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[4] Specimens have been collected at Wellington, Whangarei, Gisborne, Mount Taranaki and at the Nelson Lakes National Park .[5][6][7][8]

Habitat and host species

Kānuka

T. hieropis inhabits native forest.[5] The larvae of this species feeds on the leaf litter of kānuka.[7]

Behaviour

Adult species are on the wing in December.[5] This species is attracted to light.[8]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Trachypepla hieropis.
Wikispecies has information related to Trachypepla hieropis.
  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 Edward Meyrick (May 1892). "On new species of Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 24: 218. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q111014837.
  3. 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: 106. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  4. ↑ "Trachypepla hieropis Meyrick, 1892". www.nzor.org.nz. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  5. 1 2 3 George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 284, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286
  6. ↑ George Vernon Hudson (1939), A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 449, OCLC 9742724, Wikidata Q109420935
  7. 1 2 John Stewart Dugdale; John Hutcheson (August 1997). "Invertebrate values of kanuka (Kunzea ericoides) stands, Gisborne Region". Science for Conservation. Department of Conservation. 55: 1–30. ISSN 1173-2946. Wikidata Q110426224.
  8. 1 2 D. E. Gaskin (January 1970). "NEW RECORDS OF LEPIDOPTERA FROM MT. EGMONT AND MT. RUAPEHU, NEW ZEALAND". New Zealand Entomologist. 4 (3): 112–114. doi:10.1080/00779962.1970.9722933. ISSN 0077-9962. Wikidata Q105726524.
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