Petasactis
Genus of moths
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Petasactis is a genus of moths belonging to the family Tineidae. It contains only one species, Petasactis technica, which is endemic to New Zealand. This species has not been collected since prior to 1888. It is classified as "Data Deficient" by the Department of Conservation.
| Petasactis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Tineidae |
| Genus: | Petasactis Meyrick, 1915[1] |
| Species: | P. technica |
| Binomial name | |
| Petasactis technica (Meyrick, 1888)[2] | |
| Synonyms[3] | |
| |
Taxonomy
This genus was described by Edward Meyrick in 1915.[1][4] The species was also described by Edward Meyrick in 1888 and named Ereunetis technica using a female specimen he collected at Whangarei Heads in December.[5][3] In 1915 Meyrick reassigned this species to the genus Petasactis when he revised New Zealand Tineina.[1] George Hudson discussed this species in his 1928 book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[6] The holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[3]
Description
Meyrick described the species as follows:
Female.—12 mm. Head white, crown ochreous-tinged. Palpi white, beneath with some black scales. Antennæ white, with a black scale-streak at base. Thorax ochreous-white, with a lateral brownish-ochreous stripe. Abdomen grey. Anterior legs blackish; middle and posterior legs ochreous-white. Forewings elongate - lanceolate; greyish - ochreous, suffused with rather dark fuscous towards inner margin; markings white, faintly ochreous-tinged; a very fine longitudinal median line from base to 2⁄3, seven wedge-shaped strigulae from costa, first two very oblique, reaching half across wing, first connected with base by a slender costal streak, five latter shorter and less oblique; a subtriangular spot on inner margin at 1⁄3, and a sub-oval one at 2⁄3, a small black apical spot: cilia light greyish-ochreous, with a blackish-grey median line on upper half, some white scales at base towards middle of hindmargin, and two diverging blackish hooks at apex. Hindwings and cilia light grey; costal cilia whitish.[5]
Distribution
Biology and behaviour
Host species
Conservation status
This species has been classified as having the "Data Deficient" conservation status under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[9] It has not been collected since Meyrick obtained the type specimen.[10]
