Xanthorhoe orophyla is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the South Island in alpine habitat. This species has one brood a year and their larvae feed on cruciferous plants. Adults are on the wing from December to February and are attracted to light.
| Xanthorhoe orophyla | |
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| Female | |
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| Male | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Geometridae |
| Genus: | Xanthorhoe |
| Species: | X. orophyla
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| Binomial name | |
| Xanthorhoe orophyla | |
| Synonyms | |
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Taxonomy
editThis species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1883 under the name Epyaxa orophylla in a published abstract.[2] Meyrick gave a fuller description of the species in 1884 under the name Epyaxa orophyla.[3] In 1898 George Hudson discussed the species under the name orophyla when placing it within the genus Xanthorhoe.[4] Meyrick again discussed the species in 1917 under the name orophyla when agreeing with its placement in the genus Xanthorhoe.[5] In 1928 Hudson, in his seminal work The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, discussed and illustrated this species again spelling the specific epithet orophyla.[6] In 1988 J. S. Dugdale discussed this species under the epithet orophylla.[7] However, in 2010 the New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity referred to the species by the epithet orophyla and this spelling has also been followed by the New Zealand Organisms Register.[8][1] The male lectotype, collected at Lake Wakatipu, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[7]
Description
editIn 1898 George Hudson described the species as follows:
The expansion of the wings of the male is 1+1⁄4 inches, of the female 1+3⁄8 inches. The fore-wings of the male are pale brownish-grey; there is an obscure bent blackish line near the base, a moderately broad central band bounded by two very distinct shaded blackish lines, the basal one of which is not curved; the termen is shaded with darker grey, and there is an oblique pale mark near the apex. The hind-wings are pale grey tinged with ochreous. The female is slightly darker than the male; and there are numerous wavy pale and dark grey lines filling up the entire wing on each side of the central band.[4]
Distribution and habitat
editX. orophyla can be found in the high country of the South Island and has been collected in Nelson, Canterbury, and Otago.[9][4] They prefer open areas in lowland to alpine habitat.[4][10]
Behaviour and life cycle
editThis species has one brood a year.[9] Adults are on the wing from December to February.[9] The moths are attracted to light.[9] This species is said to be common on Aoraki / Mount Cook's lower slopes.[9]
Host species
editLarvae of this species feed on cruciferous plants.[10]
References
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- ^ a b "Xanthorhoe orophyla (Meyrick, 1883)". New Zealand Organisms Register. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ Meyrick, Edward (1883). "Monograph of New Zealand Geometrina". New Zealand Journal of Science. 1: 526–531 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- ^ Meyrick, Edward (1884). "A Monograph of the New Zealand Geometrina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 16: 49–113 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- ^ a b c d George Vernon Hudson (1898), New Zealand moths and butterflies (Macro-lepidoptera), Illustrator: George Hudson, London, pp. 58–59, doi:10.5962/BHL.TITLE.7912, OCLC 980865393, Wikidata Q19073637
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Edward Meyrick (December 1917). "Revision of New Zealand Notodontina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 49: 258. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q110727829.
- ^ George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 110, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286
- ^ 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: 191. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
- ^ Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 460. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
- ^ a b c d e David Edward Gaskin (1966), The butterflies and common moths of New Zealand, pp. 134–135, Wikidata Q115000559
- ^ a b Barratt, B. I. P.; Patrick, B. H. (1 January 1987). "Insects of snow tussock grassland on the East Otago Plateau". New Zealand Entomologist. 10 (1): 69–98. doi:10.1080/00779962.1987.9722513. ISSN 0077-9962.