Sabatinca chrysargyra is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae.[2] It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1886 and is endemic to New Zealand. It can be found from Franz Josef Glacier / Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere south but only on the western side of the South Island. Adults are on the wing from the beginning of October until the middle of January. Larvae likely feed on foliose liverworts and have been found on species in the genus Plagiochila. The adult moths live in a range of habitats preferring sunny open spaces in forests or snow-tussock grasslands that can range in altitude from near sea level up to 1,230 m. This species is very similar in appearance to Sabatinca aemula and dissection of genitalia is required to distinguish between the two species.
| Sabatinca chrysargyra | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Micropterigidae |
| Genus: | Sabatinca |
| Species: | S. chrysargyra
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| Binomial name | |
| Sabatinca chrysargyra | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Taxonomy
editThis species was described by Edward Meyrick in 1885 named Palaeomicra chrysargyra using a specimen collected in December at Lake Wakatipu at an altitude of 1100 ft.[3][1] Meyrick went on to give a fuller description of the species published in 1886.[4] In 1912 Meyrick placed this species within the Sabatinca genus.[5] Gibbs, in 2014, synonymised S. passalota with S. chrysargyra.[1] Gibbs argued that Meyrick's justification for the separation of the taxa was incorrect as although specimens collected at higher altitudes had shorter, narrower wings there was no difference in genitalia nor was Meyrick's separation able to be justified through the bar-coding of the CO1 gene.[1] The lectotype specimen is held in the Natural History Museum, London.[6]
Description
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The larvae of this species is grey-brown in colour with dark brown platelets.[1]
Meyrick described this species as follows:
Male, female. — 9-101⁄2 mm. Head and thorax reddish-ochreous. Palpi light ochreous. Antennae dark grey. Abdomen grey. Legs light ochrtous. Forewings ovate-lanceolate, costa abruptly bent near base, thence moderately arched, apex acute, hindmargin very oblique, slightly sinuate ; shining golden-ochreous ; markings very indistinct, shining ochreous-whitish ; a very irregular fascia before middle, a second at 1/3 , both often interrupted, and a series of several small spots along hindmargin and apical portion of costa ; a dark fuscous dot in disc before middle, sometimes obsolete : cilia pale shining golden-ochreous. Hindwings purplish-grey ; cilia whitish-grey.[4]
S. chrysargyra specimens collected at higher altitudes have wings that are narrower and shorter.[1] This species is very similar in appearance to Sabatinca aemula and dissection of genitalia may be required to distinguish between the two species.[7][1] S. chrysargyra differs in wing pattern from S. aemula as it has different sized spots on its wings rather than perceptible fasciae.[8]
Distribution
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S. chrysargyra is endemic to New Zealand and can be found from Franz Josef Glacier / Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere south only on the western side of the South Island.[1] It can be found at a wide range of altitudes from sea level up to 1,230 m.[1]
Behaviour
editThis species is on the wing from the beginning of October until the middle of January.[1]
Host species and habitat
editThe larvae likely feed on feed on foliose liverworts.[9] Larvae of this species have been found on liverworts in the genus Plagiochila.[10] This species prefers sunny but open habitats including in forests near seepages or streams at near sea level altitudes up to subalpine snow-tussock habitats.[11]
References
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- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k George Gibbs (30 June 2014). "Micropterigidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera)" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 72. Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.72. ISSN 0111-5383. OCLC 917549814. Wikidata Q44902221. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Sabatinca chrysargyyra (Meyrick, 1885)". www.nzor.org.nz. 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- ^ Edward Meyrick (November 1885). "Descriptions of New Zealand Microlepidoptera. Gelechiadae. VIII. Tineina (part)". New Zealand Journal of Science. 2 (12): 592. Wikidata Q108097450.
- ^ a b Edward Meyrick (May 1886). "Descriptions of New Zealand Micro-Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 18: 182. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q109405465.
- ^ Edward Meyrick (1912). "Lepidoptera Heterocera: family Micropterigidae". Genera Insectorum. Fasc 132: 1–9. Wikidata Q109405898.
- ^ 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: 52. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
- ^ Philpott, Alfred (1924). "Notes and Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 55: 663–669. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q108264952.
- ^ Sandra R Schachat; Richard L Brown (26 May 2016). "Forewing color pattern in Micropterigidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera): homologies between contrast boundaries, and a revised hypothesis for the origin of symmetry systems". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 16 (1): 116. doi:10.1186/S12862-016-0687-Z. ISSN 1471-2148. PMC 4880886. PMID 27230100. Wikidata Q28602191.
- ^ "Sabatinca chrysargyra (Meyrick, 1885)". plant-synz.landcareresearch.co.nz. 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- ^ Glime, Janice M. (2017). "Chapter 12: Terrestrial Insects: Holometabola – Lepidoptera: Micropterigoidea – Gelechioidea". Bryophyte Ecology. Vol. 2. Michigan Technological University.
- ^ Hudson, G. V. (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 369, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286