Asaphodes clarata

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Asaphodes clarata
File:Asaphodes clarata female.jpg
Female
File:Asaphodes clarata male.jpg
Male
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Asaphodes
Species:
A. clarata
Binomial name
Asaphodes clarata
(Walker, 1862)
Synonyms[1]
  • Guenée, 1868 Walker, 1862
  • Xanthorhoe clarata Larentia clarata
  • (Walker, 1862) Cidaria pyramaria

Asaphodes clarata is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been found on the North and South Islands. The species inhabits open grassy areas, including tussock grasslands, in montane habitat. The larvae feed on the leaves of Ranunculus species. The adult moths are day flying and are on the wing from December to February and have been shown to pollinate Celmisia laricifolia and Hebe pinguifolia.

Taxonomy

This species was described by Francis Walker in 1862 as Larentia clarata using material collected in Waikouaiti in Otago.[1][2] Meyrick discussed this species under that name in both 1883 and 1884 and also synonymised Cidaria pyramaria with this species.[3][4] George Hudson also discussed and illustrated this species under the name Xanthorhoe clarata in both 1898 and in 1928.[5][6] In 1971 J. S. Dugdale confirmed the placement of this species in the genus Asaphodes.[7] In 1988 Dugdale confirmed this placement in his catalogue of New Zealand Lepidoptera.[1] The female holotype specimen, collected at Waikouaiti, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[1]

Description

File:LEPI Geometridae Asaphodes clarata larva.png
A. clarata larva.
File:Fig 27 MA I437613 TePapa Plate-XIV-The-butterflies full (cropped).jpg
Illustration of female A. clarata by George Hudson.

Hudson described the species as follows:

The expansion of the wings of the male is 1+1⁄2 inches, of the female 1+3⁄8 inches. The species differs from the preceding in the following respects : The ground colour of the forewings is brighter, the markings are less oblique and much more jagged ; the large white central band is often broken up into several distinct oval patches, the costal edge is very slightly shaded with brown, and the transverse lines do not disappear before reaching the costa. The hind-wings are bright ochreous. The cilia of all the wings are white, strongly barred with yellowish-brown.[5]

This species varies in the colour intensity and the width of the white markings of its forewings.[6]

Distribution

A. clarata is endemic to New Zealand.[8][9] It is an upland species and occurs on the tussock covered slopes of ranges in both the North and South Islands.[10] It has been recorded as being present in Otago and in Canterbury.[11][12]

Behaviour

File:Asaphodes clarata 21257293.jpg
Observation of live A. clarata.

The adults of this species are on the wing from November to March.[6] It is a day flying moth.[12]

Habitat and host species

This species frequents open grassy patches in montane habitat.[5] Larvae of this species feed on the foliage of Ranunculus species.[13][14] The adult moth has been shown to pollinate Celmisia laricifolia and Hebe pinguifolia.[15]

References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Asaphodes clarata.
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 173. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  2. ↑ Walker, Francis (1862). "Geometrites (continued)". List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum. XXIV: 1021–1280 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  3. ↑ No label or title -- debug: Q106368126, p. 528, Wikidata Q106368126
  4. ↑ No label or title -- debug: Q109615359, p. 79, Wikidata Q109615359
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Hudson, George Vernon (1898). New Zealand moths and butterflies (Macro-lepidoptera). London: West, Newman & Co. pp. 61–62. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.7912.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 No label or title -- debug: Q58593286, pp. 118–119, Wikidata Q58593286
  7. ↑ No label or title -- debug: Q64006453, Wikidata Q64006453
  8. ↑ No label or title -- debug: Q45922947, p. 459, Wikidata Q45922947
  9. ↑ "Asaphodes clarata (Walker, 1862)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2018-07-10.
  10. ↑ Gaskin, D. E. (1966). The butterflies and common moths of New Zealand. Christchurch: Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd. p. 138. OCLC 4624894.
  11. ↑ Patrick, B. (January 1982). "Lepidoptera of Danseys Pass, Otago" (PDF). New Zealand Entomologist. 7 (3): 332–336. doi:10.1080/00779962.1982.9722418. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 White, E. G. (1991). "The changing abundance of moths in a tussock grassland, 1962-1989, and 50-to 70-year trends". New Zealand Journal of Ecology. 15 (1): 5–22. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.411.5259.
  13. ↑ "PlantSynz - Invertebrate herbivore biodiversity assessment tool: Database". plant-synz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2018-07-10.
  14. ↑ No label or title -- debug: Q109608608, Wikidata Q109608608
  15. ↑ Primack, Richard B. (July 1983). "Insect pollination in the New Zealand mountain flora". New Zealand Journal of Botany. 21 (3): 317–333. doi:10.1080/0028825X.1983.10428561.
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