Austrocidaria venustatis
Species of moth endemic to New Zealand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Austrocidaria venustatis is a species of moth of the family Geometridae.[3] It endemic to New Zealand and has been collected in Southland. Adults of this species are on the wing in December.
| Austrocidaria venustatis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Male holotype | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Geometridae |
| Genus: | Austrocidaria |
| Species: | A. venustatis |
| Binomial name | |
| Austrocidaria venustatis | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Taxonomy
This species was first described by John Tenison Salmon in 1946 using a specimen collected at Lake Gunn in the Eglinton Valley in December, 1944.[4][5] Salmon originally named the species Hydriomena venustatis.[4] In 1950 George Hudson described and illustrated this species.[5] In 1988 John S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Austrocidaria.[2] The male holotype is held at Te Papa.[2][6]
Description
Hudson described this species as follows:
The expansion of the wings is about 1+1⁄8 inches (30 mm.). Face yellowish, palpi black. Top of head and thorax with heavy clothing of mixed black, ochreous-green, and red-brown scales. Antennae with strong, broad serrations from about 1⁄5 beyond base to tips. Forewings rather elongate, with apical region somewhat diluted; termen slightly bowed and deeply scalloped; dull green, with numerous very wavy, somewhat confused, black transverse lines; a subapical patch of orange-brick-red; faint, very suffused patches of same colour extending to middle of wing and below disc, a wavy, ochreous-green subterminal line, a rather broad, brighter green terminal band and a terminal series of black crescentic markings; cilia dull pinkish, with blackish subterminal band and faint, irregular bards of black on tips of scallops. Hindwings ochreous, darker towards termen; dorsum with prominent wavy blackish lines becoming obsolete towards disc; termen deeply scalloped, with a conspicuous marginal series of fine, crescentic, black marks; cilia ochreous, tinged with pink, especially towards dorsum; many blackish scales in cilia tending to form bars at apices of the scallops. Abdomen ochreous with back and segmental divisions marked in back; two conspicuous anal tufts.[5]
Hudson recognised that this species was visually similar to Austrocidaria similata but stated that it could be distinguished from that species based on its morphology.[5]
Distribution
Behaviour
Adults are on the wing in December.[2]
