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Glaucocharis stella

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Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Glaucocharis stella
Male
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Crambidae
Subfamily: Crambinae
Tribe: Diptychophorini
Genus: Glaucocharis
Species: G. stella
Binomial name
Glaucocharis stella
Meyrick, 1938
Synonyms
  • Pareromene gurri Gaskin, 1971

Glaucocharis stella is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1938. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North Island. Meyrick hypothesised that larvae of G. stella feed on moss. Adults are on the wing in October and November. The colouration of the forewings ensure that when resting with closed wings on rocks adults are highly camouflaged.

Taxonomy

This species was described by Edward Meyrick in 1938 using specimens collected by Stella Gibbs née Hudson collected in the Ōrongorongo Valley at an altitude altitude of about 2,500 feet near Wellington and named Glaucocharis stella. George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1939 book A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand. In 1971 David Edward Gaskin, thinking he was describing a new species, named this moth Pareromene gurri. Gaskin synonymised this name with G. stella in 1985 when reclassifying Australasian, Melanesian and Polynesian Glaucocharis species. The male holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.

Description

Illustration of female.

This species was described by Meyrick as follows:

♀.13 mm. Head grey. Palpi dark grey, whitish at base beneath. Antennae minutely pubescent. Thorax slate-grey. Fore-wings subtriangular, costa slightly arched, apex rounded, termen faintly bisinuate, somewhat oblique; bluish-slate-grey; extreme costal edge touched whitish from about 1⁄4 to 4⁄5; lines blackish, subbasal marked on costal half, first rather thick on costal half, from costa beyond 1⁄3 outwards-oblique to middle, acutely angled inwards and again on fold right-angled to dorsum beyond middle, mixed ochreous scales except near costa, second fine, waved, from costa beyond 2⁄3 outwards-oblique, strongly excurved on median third and sinuate to dorsum at 2⁄3, thus nearly approximated to first on dorsum, slightly mixed ochreous scales towards dorsum; discal spot oblique-oval, edged blackish and filled ochreous, lying within curve of second line, a small spot of blackish suffusion on costa obliquely before this; an obscure triangular apical patch of blackish-grey subterminal suffusion; an uneven black terminal line; cilia grey, a subbasal shade hardly darker, tips slightly mixed whitish. Hindwings grey; a moderate terminal fascia of dark grey suffusion; cilia grey, a darker subbasal shade, some slight whitish mixture beyond this.

Gaskin pointed out that this species is similar in appearance to G. epiphaea but that it can be distinguished by genitalic characteristics in both sexes. Externally the two species can be separated as the tornus of the forewing of G. stella is nearly at right angles where as in G. epiphaea the tornus of the forewing is more obtusely angled.

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. G. stella have been observed in the North Island. Other than the type locality oft he Ōrongorongo Valley, this specimen has also been observed in Auckland and when describing this species under the name P. gurri Gaskin used specimens collected in the Coromandel and at Mount Te Aroha.

Habitat and hosts

Meyrick hypothesised that the larvae of G. stella were moss feeders.

Behaviour

The adults are on the wing in October and November. As a result of their colouration adult moths are highly protected when resting with closed wings on rocks on the mountain side.

References

  1. ^ Dugdale , J. S. (23 September 1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. 14. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research: 145. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Edward Meyrick (1938). "New Species of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 67: 426–427. ISSN 1176-6166. Wikidata Q89182470.
  4. ^ George Vernon Hudson (1939), A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 428, OCLC 9742724, Wikidata Q109420935 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ^ David Edward Gaskin (1971). "A revision of New Zealand Diptychophorini (Lepidoptera; Pyralidae; Crambinae)". New Zealand Journal of Science. 14: 777–778. ISSN 0028-8365. Wikidata Q110236267.
  6. David E. Gaskin (20 December 1985). "Morphology and reclassification of the Australasian, Melanesian and Polynesian Glaucocharis Meyrick (Lepidoptera : Crambinae : Diptychophorini)". Australian Journal of Zoology. Supplementary Series. 33 (115): 1. doi:10.1071/AJZS115. ISSN 0310-9089. Wikidata Q54618937.
  7. "Glaucocharis stella (Meyrick, 1938)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  8. ^ "Glaucocharis stella Meyrick, 1938". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
Taxon identifiers
Glaucocharis stella
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