Meterana exquisita (also known as the exquisite owlet moth)[3] is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as "At Risk, Relict'" by the Department of Conservation.
| Meterana exquisita | |
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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 |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Noctuidae |
| Genus: | Meterana |
| Species: | M. exquisita
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| Binomial name | |
| Meterana exquisita | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Taxonomy
editThis species was first described and illustrated by Alfred Philpott in 1903 and was given the name Melanchra exquisita.[1] Philpott used a male specimen he collected at West Plains in Southland in December.[4] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[5] In 1988 John S. Dugdale placed this species within the genus Meterana.[2] The holotype specimen is held at the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.[2]
Description
editThe larvae of this species are large, angular and green coloured with thin red and white lines.[6]
Philpott originally described the male of the species as follows:
♂︎. 32 mm. Head and palpi greenish ; tips of palpi and outward surfaces blackish ; two linear black marks on crown of head. Antennae brownish, shortly bipectinated. Legs greenish, annulated with black. Thorax with moderate bifid anterior and posterior crest ; green, with black irregular V-shaped mark, the apex towards head. Abdomen dull-yellowish, anal segments black ; also blackish on sides of segments, and dorsal series of black spots. Fore wings : Costa almost straight, apex rounded ; termen not crenulate, obliquely rounded, bright-green, black suffusion from base obliquely towards dorsum, terminating in oblique black white-margined upwardly bent projection at 1⁄4; distinct white irregularly black-margined line from costa near base to black suffusion, irregular interrupted white -margined black line from about 1⁄4 of costa to before 1⁄2 of dorsum, several irregular projections at middle of wing, and upper half of line forked ; irregular black outwardly white-margined band at 1⁄2, outwardly oblique to middle of wing, thence inwardly oblique to dorsum, on which broadly and irregularly clavate ; costa with alternate black and white dots ; reniform spot obscurely outlined in black, edged with white ; dentate black line beyond reniform, indentations filled with white ; strong subterminal black line, interrupted above and below middle, broadly and suffusedly white-margined. Cilia green, barred with black, and with an indistinct darker line. Hind wings pale greenish-yellow, with brownish suffusion on apical portion ; an irregular line at 2⁄3 , and discal spot of same colour. Cilia pale-green.[4]
Distribution
editThis species is endemic to New Zealand.[7] M. exquisita has occurred in Auckland, Waikato, Taupō, Whanganui, Wairarapa, Nelson, South Canterbury, Mackenzie country, Central Otago, Otago Lakes and Southland.[8] However this species is now locally extinct in its type locality of West Plains and is almost wiped out in Auckland.[8]
Life cycle and behaviour
editThis species has only one generation a year.[9] The larvae are bright green coloured and as a result are well camouflaged when feeding on their host species.[9] Larvae feed for one month before they pupate.[9] M. exquisita are on the wing from August to December but are most common from September to October.[9] The species can fly for at least 800m from their nearest host plant.[6] This species has been collected at sugar traps.[4]
Host species and habitat
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The plant host species for the larvae of M. exquisita are small-leaved Olearia species.[8][9] These include O. hectorii, O. odorata,[8] and O. bullata.[10]
Conservation status
editThis moth is classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification system as being "At Risk, Relict".[11] One of the reasons for this classification is that the habitat of this species is under threat from land development.[8] The elimination of the host plants of this species has resulted in their extinction from sites in New Zealand.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b "Meterana exquisita (Philpott, 1903)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
- ^ a b c Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera-annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 207 – via Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd.
- ^ Maanaki Whenua Landcare Research (October 2016). "Shedding light on the night – a citizen science programme to study moths" (PDF). Open space. 91: 14–15 – via qeiinationaltrust.org.nz.
- ^ a b c Philpott, Alfred (1903). "On some new species of Lepidoptera (moths) from Southland". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 35: 246–249 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- ^ Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 63.
- ^ a b Pawson, S.M.; Emberson, R.M. (2000). "The conservation status of invertebrates in Canterbury" (PDF). Conservation Advisory Science Notes. 320: 1–64.
- ^ Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 457. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
- ^ a b c d e Patrick, Brian; Dugdale, John S. (2000). Conservation status of the New Zealand lepidoptera (PDF). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Conservation, New Zealand. p. 32. ISBN 0478218672. OCLC 154670803.
- ^ a b c d e f Patrick, Brian (2000). Lepidoptera of small-leaved divaricating Olearia in New Zealand and their conservation priority (PDF). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Conservation, New Zealand. ISBN 0478220154. OCLC 48661253.
- ^ Lambert, Michelle Teresa (2015). "Ecology of the declining Olearia lineata and not-threatened Olearia bullata in human-modified environments and implications for their conservation" (PDF). www.ir.canterbury.ac.nz. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
- ^ Hoare, R.J.B.; Dugdale, J.S.; Edwards, E.D.; Gibbs, G.W.; Patrick, B.H.; Hitchmough, R.A.; Rolfe, J.R. (2017). Conservation status of New Zealand butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera), 2015 (PDF). Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Department of Conservation. p. 8. ISBN 9781988514383.
External links
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