Chloroclystis nereis
Species of moth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chloroclystis nereis is a moth in the family Geometridae.[2] It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1888. It is endemic to New Zealand.
| Chloroclystis nereis | |
|---|---|
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| Male specimen | |
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| Female specimen | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Geometridae |
| Genus: | Chloroclystis |
| Species: | C. nereis |
| Binomial name | |
| Chloroclystis nereis | |
| Synonyms | |
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Taxonomy
This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1888 and was originally named Pasiphila nereis.[3] George Hudson discussed this species under the name Chloroclystis nereis in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[4]
Description
Meyrick described this species as follows:
Male, female. — 15-21 mm. Head, palpi, thorax, and abdomen grey sprinkled with blackish-grey and whitish, sides of thorax and base of abdomen (in fresh specimens) tinged with blue-greenish; palpi 2. Antennae whitish annulated with black, ciliations in male 1⁄2. Legs blackish, middle and posterior pair irrorated with whitish, apex of all joints whitish. Forewings with hindmargin bowed, oblique, slightly sinuate above anal angle; light grey, suffused with light blue-greenish (in fresh specimens); numerous curved waved darker grey or blackish-grey lines, alternating with a partial irregular white irroration; anterior edge of median band from 1⁄3 of costa to 1⁄3 of inner margin, curved; posterior edge from 2⁄3 of costa to 2⁄3 of inner margin, sinuate inwards beneath costa, and above and below middle; median band towards margins, and a hindmarginal band interrupted beneath costa, obscurely suffused with darker grey, especially near costa; a grey discal spot, sometimes obsolete; an interrupted blackish hindmarginal line : cilia whitish, barred with grey, and with an obscure grey line, bars darker on basal half. Hindwings with hindmargin unevenly rounded; grey, with obscure darker waved lines, more distinct towards inner margin, and somewhat irrorated with white in intervals; an obscure dark grey discal spot, often merged in one of the lines; cilia as hi forewings, but more obscure.[3]
Distribution
This species is endemic to New Zealand.
Habitat and hosts
The favoured habitat of this species consists of mountainous areas.[3][5] The larvae feed inside the flower heads of Celmisia lindsayi.[6] Adult moths have been shown to pollinate Celmisia discolor, Celmisia gracilenta and Helichrysum selago.[7]
Behaviour
C. nereis is day flying. Adults are on wing in January and February.[5]
