Scoparia rotuella
Female
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Crambidae
Genus: Scoparia
Species:
S. rotuella
Binomial name
Scoparia rotuella
Synonyms[1][2]
  • Crambus rotuellus Felder and Rogenhofer, 1875
  • Xeroscopa rotuella (Felder and Rogenhofer, 1875)
  • Scoparia rotuellus (Felder and Rogenhofer, 1875)

Scoparia rotuella is a species of moth in the family Crambidae.[3] It was first described by Cajetan Felder, Rudolf Felder and Alois Friedrich Rogenhofer in 1875. It is endemic to New Zealand and, although considered localised, is found throughout the country. As at 2022 the life history of this species is largely unknown, but it has been hypothesised that this species may have two broods a year. Adults are on the wing all year round and are attracted to light.

Taxonomy

Illustration of S. rotuella by George Hudson.

It was described by Cajetan Felder, Rudolf Felder and Alois Friedrich Rogenhofer in 1875 under the name Crambus rotuellus.[4][2] In 1885 Edward Meyrick placed this species in the genus Xeroscopa and amended the epithet to rotuella.[5] In 1913 Meyrick again revised the taxonomy of the species and placed it within the genus Scopaira.[6] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under the name Scoparia rotuella in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[1] The male lectotype, collected in Nelson by T. R. Oxley, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[2]

Description

Live S. rotuella.
Side view of S. rotuella.

The wingspan is 28–29 mm. The forewings are light greyish ochreous, irrorated (speckled) with white beneath the costa. There is a black median streak from the base of the costa to the disc, margined with clear yellowish ochreous. The first line has the form of a sharply defined black streak, margined with clear yellowish ochreous. The second line is represented by a row of black dots and there is a terminal row of black dots. The hindwings are very pale ochreous grey.[5]

Distribution

S. rotuella is endemic to New Zealand.[7] This species has been observed in the North, South and Stewart Islands as well as on Campbell Island and Chatham Island.[1] It is regarded as being localised, that is restricted to certain localities within those islands.[8] This species has been observed at altitudes ranging from sea-level to elevations of about 1,200 m.[1]

Behaviour

The life history of this species is largely unknown.[8] However it has been hypothesised that there are two broods in a year.[8] The adults of this species are attracted to light and have been collected all year round.[8] Adults of this species have been shown to pollinate Helichrysum selago and Veronica salicifolia.[9]

Threats

Specimens of this species have been tested for Wolbachia infection and one was found to be positive for the bacteria.[10] Wolbachia bacteria are common in reproductive organs of insects and the presence of this bacteria can result in the species suffering from a sex ratio bias in favour if female moths.[10] The lack of male moths can result in a population decline of a species.[10]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Scoparia rotuella.
  1. 1 2 3 4 George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 200, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286
  2. 1 2 3 Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 160. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  3. ↑ Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia : chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 458. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  4. ↑ Felder, Cajetan; Rogenhofer, Alois Friedrich (1864–1867). "Reise der österreichischen Fregatte Novara". Reise der österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859 unter den Befehlen des Commodore B. Von W. pt.9:Bd.2:Abt.2 (1864-1867) Atlas: Plate CXXXVII fig 30 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  5. 1 2 Meyrick, E. (1885). "Descriptions of New Zealand Microlepidoptera. IV. Scopariadae". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 17: 68–120. Retrieved 28 January 2018. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. ↑ Meyrick, E. (1913). "A Revision of the New Zealand Pyralidina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 45: 30–51 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  7. ↑ "Scoparia rotuella (Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 David Edward Gaskin (1966). "The butterflies and common moths of New Zealand". New Zealand: 171. Wikidata Q115000559.
  9. ↑ Richard B. Primack (July 1983). "Insect pollination in the New Zealand mountain flora". New Zealand Journal of Botany. 21 (3): 317–333. doi:10.1080/0028825X.1983.10428561. ISSN 0028-825X. Wikidata Q54669862.
  10. 1 2 3 Renate Wöger; Roland Wöger; Matthias Nuss (7 July 2020). "Spatial and temporal sex ratio bias and Wolbachia-infection in New Zealand Crambidae (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea)". Biodiversity Data Journal. 8: e52621. doi:10.3897/BDJ.8.E52621. ISSN 1314-2828. PMC 7360630. PMID 32733140. Wikidata Q98177304.
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