Sagephora felix is a species of moth in the family Tineidae.[2][1] It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1914. This species is endemic to New Zealand and can be found in the north half of the North Island. It inhabits native forest and adults of the species are on the wing from December to May, in July and November.

Sagephora felix
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Tineidae
Genus: Sagephora
Species:
S. felix
Binomial name
Sagephora felix

Taxonomy

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This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1914, using a specimen collected by George Hudson at Kaeo in January, and named Sagephora felix.[3] In 1928 George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species using that name.[4] The male holotype specimen is held in the Natural History Museum, London.[5]

Description

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Illustration by George Hudson c. 1927

This species was described by Meyrick as follows:

♂. 10 mm. Head and thorax white. Palpi white, second joint dark fuscous except apex. Antennae white, with a blackish band at 23, and tip dark fuscous. (Abdomen broken.) Forewings elongate, rather narrow, costa gently arched, apex tolerably pointed, termen very obliquely rounded ; shining snow-white ; a dark-fuscous streak along costa from base to 25, edged below with ochreous-brown ; a transverse dark-fuscous spot in disc at 25, touching extremity of costal streak ; an irregular line of scattered dark-fuscous specks surrounded with some faint pale-yellowish suffusion running from fold before this spot near dorsum, and thence as a subterminal line to a fuscous spot on costa at 45 ; a rather dark fuscous spot along apical portion of costa : cilia white, on costa barred with fuscous. Hindwings pale whitish-grey ; cilia ochreous-whitish.[3]

Distribution

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This species is endemic to New Zealand.[5] This species has been collected at its type locality Kaeo, as well as at Auckland and Wellington.[4]

Habitat

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This species inhabits native forest.[4]

Behaviour

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The adults of this species are on the wing December to May, July and November.[4][6]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Sagephora felix Meyrick, 1914". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  2. ^ Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 464. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  3. ^ a b Edward Meyrick (1914). "Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 46: 114. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q98606535.
  4. ^ a b c d George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 342, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286
  5. ^ a b John Stewart Dugdale (23 September 1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. 14. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research: 342. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  6. ^ "Sagephora felix Meyrick, 1914". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
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