Declana floccosa
| Declana floccosa | |
|---|---|
| File:Declana floccosa male.jpg | |
| Male specimen | |
| File:Declana floccosa female.jpg | |
| Female specimen | |
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Geometridae |
| Genus: | Declana |
| Species: | D. floccosa
|
| Binomial name | |
| Declana floccosa | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Declana floccosa, the forest semilooper or manuka moth is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand.[1] It was first described by Francis Walker in 1863 using specimens obtained from Colonel Bolton.[2] The wingspan of this species is 27–35 mm and is extremely variable in colour and patterning.[3][4][5] The larvae feed on a wide range of native and exotic broad-leaved and coniferous shrubs and trees.[6] Exotic hosts include Pinus radiata and other Pinus species, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Larix and Eucalyptus.[3] Native hosts include Muehlenbeckia australis.[7]
Population decline and recovery
A longitudinal study from 1974 to 2016 indicated the population of this moth declined sharply in the study area in the mid-1980s but began to recover in the late 1990s.[5] It has been hypothesised that the arrival of Vespula vulgaris in New Zealand might be the cause of the population decline.[5] It was also hypothesised that the recovery in population may have been brought about as a result of the extended emergence period of this moth which gave those moths emerging later in the season the ability to avoid predation by wasps.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Declana floccosa Walker, 1858". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
- ↑ Walker, Francis (1858). "Noctuidae". List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum. 15: 1521–1888 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Declana floccosa, forest semilooper". www.nzffa.org.nz. New Zealand Farm Forestry Association. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
- ↑ Hudson, George Vernon (1888). "On the varieties of a common moth (Declana floccosa)". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 21: 190–193 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 No label or title -- debug: Q105348997, Wikidata Q105348997
- ↑ "PlantSynz - Invertebrate herbivore biodiversity assessment tool: Database". plant-synz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2018-07-10.
- ↑ Patrick, Brian (18 May 2016). "Ecological importance of Muehlenbeckia australis/Pohuehue". www.openspace.org.nz. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
