Zealandopterix zonodoxa

Zealandopterix zonodoxa
Zealandopterix zonodoxa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Micropterigidae
Genus:	Zealandopterix
Species:	Z. zonodoxa
Binomial name
Zealandopterix zonodoxa (Meyrick, 1888)
Synonyms
Palaeomicra zonodoxa Meyrick, 1888 Sabatinca zonodoxa Sabatinca rosicoma Meyrick, 1914

Zealandopterix zonodoxa is a moth of the Micropterigidae family. It is known from the northern North Island of New Zealand, from Te Paki south to Puketitri, Hawkes Bay and including Poor Knights, Little Barrier and Great Barrier Islands. It inhabits a wide variety of moist indigenous forest types but usually with podocarps.^[1]

Adults have been found between September and March.^[2]

The forewing length is 2.6 millimetres (0.10 in) for males and 3 millimetres (0.12 in) for females. The forewing ground colour is dark brownish-black with strong purplish-bronze reflections. There is a maximum of five and a minimum of three shining white fasciae comprising: a short basal triangular streak, which is consistently present, in the centre of the wing, contiguous with the tegula. Secondly, a transverse band at mid-length, either as a continuous broad line or only partly represented in the form of either a bold triangular patch on the dorsum or triangular patches on both the costa and the dorsum. Furthermore, a much smaller costal patch and a few white scales in the apex present in all specimens. The fringes are long along the termen and largely dark brownish-black, white-tipped and wholly white around the apex. The hindwing is greyish-brown with bronzy-purple reflections. The fringes are grey-brown.

Larvae have been sieved from rotten wood on the floor of a mixed podocarp/broadleaf forest or extracted from moss or from bryophytes on a ditch wall.

References

1. George W. Gibbs (2010). "Micropterigidae (Lepidoptera) of the Southwestern Pacific: a revision with the establishment of five new genera from Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand" (PDF). Magnolia press.
2. Gibbs, G W (30 June 2014). "Micropterigidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera)" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 72: 1–127. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.72. Retrieved 24 June 2016.

External links

• Image of Zealandopterix zonodoxa from Naturewatch NZ
• Image of lectotype specimen of Zealandopterix zonodoxa from the collection of British Museum Natural History via Naturkundliches Informationssystem