Ichneutica cana
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| Ichneutica cana | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Female | |
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| Male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Noctuidae |
| Genus: | Ichneutica |
| Species: | I. cana |
| Binomial name | |
| Ichneutica cana | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Ichneutica cana is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand.[1]
I. cana was first described by George Howes in 1914 from a single male specimen collected in the Garvie Mountains, near Lake Wakatipu in Otago.[2] This species was illustrated and discussed in George Hudson's 1928 book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[3] John S. Dugdale agreed with the placement of this species within the genus Ichneutica in 1988.[4] Robert J. B. Hoare also confirmed the placement of this species within the genus Ichneutica in his major review of New Zealand Noctuidae species in 2019.[1]
Description
Howes originally described the species as follows:
Face grey. Palpi blackish at base. Head and thorax grey, frontal area lighter grey. Head and thorax densely clothed with long dark-grey hair. Thorax broad in proportion to length, with a slight posterior crest. Abdomen grey. Forewings grey, with pale grey lines and occasional darker marks. A single light-grey line at base; a jagged grey line about 1⁄5, strongly dentate near dorsum; outwardly suffused with dark grey. Orbicular faintly shown in light grey, and separated from reniform by a distinct dark-grey patch. Reniform faintly outlined in light grey. A jagged light-grey line at 3⁄4, bending towards termen until centre of wing, then inwards before reaching dorsum. Terminal edge margined with light grey, edged basally with a dark suffusion, which forms a faintly defined line; slight grey marks along veins where they reach termen. Cilia short, light grey and dark grey alternate patches. Hindwings light grey with a faint ochreous tinge, a darker band across wing at J and a slightly waved subterminal band. Terminal edge and cilia grey-white. Underside grey with a faint ochreous tinge and a well-defined irregular dark-grey line at about 3⁄4 across both wings.[2]
I. cana is similar in appearance to I. eris but there are visual differences between the two species.[1]
Geographic range
This species is found only in the South Island, in the eastern and southern parts of that Island as well as in Fiordland.[1] Unlike I. eris, I. cana does not appear to be present in the north-west of the South Island.[1]
Habitat
I. cana can be found in alpine habitat.[1]
