Chersadaula
Species of moth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chersadaula ochrogastra is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae. It is the only species in the genus Chersadaula.[3] This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as "Data Deficient" by the Department of Conservation.
| Chersadaula | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Oecophoridae |
| Subfamily: | Oecophorinae |
| Genus: | Chersadaula Meyrick, 1923 |
| Species: | C. ochrogastra |
| Binomial name | |
| Chersadaula ochrogastra Meyrick, 1923[2] | |
| Synonyms | |
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Taxonomy
This species was described by Edward Meyrick in 1923 from specimens obtained by George Hudson at Breaker Bay in Wellington.[4] Hudson found larvae of the species in September and raised them to adulthood in November.[4] Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 publication The Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand.[5] The lectotype is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[6]
There is one undescribed species in the same genus, but otherwise the genus is monotypic.[6]
Description
The eggs of this species are white and approximately 3mm in length, and cylindrical in shape although slightly broader at one end.[5]
The larvae, when fully grown, are approximately 2 cm long and are cylinder shaped with a tapered end.[5] The head is bright yellowish-brown, the first part of the larva is yellowish-white, then tinged with black, then whitish with irregular tinges of chocolate brown.[5]
Meyrick described the adult moths of the species as follows:
♂ 17 mm. Head ochreous-whitish, hairs greyish towards base. Palpi ochreous-whitish mixed with grey. Antennal ciliations ♂ 1+1⁄2. Thorax ochreous-whitish slightly tinged with rosy, and suffusedly mixed with grey. Abdomen light yellow-ochreous. Forewings elongate, costa slightly arched, apex obtuse, termen very obliquely rounded; light-brownish irregularly tinged with rosy-pink, and sprinkled with grey-whitish and dark fuscous; a dark-fuscous dot on base of costa; a spot of dark-fuscous irroration in disc towards base; stigmata roundish, dark fuscous, plical beneath first discal, opposite spots of dark-fuscous suffusion on costa and dorsum before these two and suffusedly connected with them, plical preceded by some white suffusion, a roundish blotch of dark-fuscous irroration between second discal and tornus, preceded by narrow whitish suffusion; an irregular illdefined and incomplete angulated subterminal line of dark-fuscous irroration, indented above angle: cilia pale ochreous tinged with rosy, base sprinkled with dark fuscous. Hindwings dark grey, lighter towards base; cilia grey. ♀ 16 mm. Abdomen yellow-ochreous, grey on sides and praeanal segment, anal segment whitish. Forewings broad-lanceolate, apex strongly and narrowly produced, pointed; colour and markings nearly as in ♂, but basal third more whitish, angularly prominent in disc, a stronger blackish mark between second discal and tornus. Hindwings rather broad-lanceolate, less than half length of forewings and about half as broad: cilia grey-whitish.[4]
Distribution
Biology and behaviour
Host species and habitat
The female adult moths place their eggs indiscriminately and they are not attached to anything.[5] The larvae of this moth live in silken cocoons in the earth and feed on grass roots.[5][8] The preferred habitat of the larvae of this species is along the sea-coast, about three metres above the high tide mark.[5]
Conservation status
This species has been classified as having the "Data Deficient" conservation status under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[1]
