Hydriomena clarkei is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as "At Risk, Declining'" by the Department of Conservation.
| Hydriomena clarkei | |
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| Female | |
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| Male | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Geometridae |
| Genus: | Hydriomena |
| Species: | H. clarkei
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| Binomial name | |
| Hydriomena clarkei (Howes, 1917)
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| Synonyms | |
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Taxonomy
editThis species was first described by George Howes in 1917 and named Chloroclystis clarkei.[2][3] Howes used a specimen collected by Charles E. Clarke in March at Flagstaff Hill in Dunedin and named the species in his honour.[2][3] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[4] In 1988 John S. Dugdale placed this species within the genus Hydriomena.[3] The holotype specimen is held at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.[5][3] The genus level classification of this moth is currently regarded as unsatisfactory.[6] As such the species is also known as Hydriomena (s.l.) clarkei.[6]
Description
editHowes described the female adult of the species as follows:
♀︎ 25 mm. Head and appendages, thorax, and abdomen grey-brown. Forewings dark grey-brown, with the veins distinctly shown by being irrorated with black and grey to 2⁄3 across wing, and from there to termen irrorated with yellow and black ; a black line edges costa, interrupted by two white marks at 1⁄3, followed by three white marks at 1⁄2, two white marks at 3⁄4 , another close to apex : these marks all rather indistinct. Termen distinctly edged with a thin black line, interrupted by yellow dots at the ends of the veins. Hindwings grey suffused with darker grey, and with a rather indistinct series of transverse irregular fines ; termen distinctly edged with a thin dark line, small yellow dots interrupting it on the veins : cilia light grey with a dark-grey line at base.[2]
Distribution
editThis species is endemic to New Zealand.[6][7] It has occurred in Dunedin, Central Otago and at the Otago Lakes.[8] H. clarkei is considered extinct at its type locality of Flagstaff Hill.[8]
Biology and life cycle
editMuch of the biology of H. clarkei is unknown.[8] This species is on the wing in February and March.[2][4]
Host plants and habitat
editThe host plants of the larvae of this species are unknown but it has been reared in captivity on Geranium species.[8] Hudson states that the species could be located amongst shrub-land containing Dracophyllum and Leucopogon species.[4]
Conservation status
editThis moth is classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification system as being "At Risk, Declining".[1]
References
edit
- ^ a b Hoare, R.J.B.; Dugdale, J.S.; Edwards, E.D.; Gibbs, G.W.; Patrick, B.H.; Hitchmough, R.A.; Rolfe, J.R. (2017). Conservation status of New Zealand butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera), 2015 (PDF). Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Department of Conservation. p. 7. ISBN 9781988514383.
- ^ a b c d Howes, W. G. (1917). "New Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 49: 274. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
- ^ a b c d Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera-annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 1–264. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-01-27. Retrieved 2018-05-15 – via Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd.
- ^ a b c Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. pp. 96–97.
- ^ "Hydriomena clarkei". Auckland War Memorial Museum. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
- ^ a b c "Hydriomena clarkei (Howes, 1917)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
- ^ Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 459. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
- ^ a b c d Patrick, Brian; Dugdale, John S. (2000). Conservation status of the New Zealand lepidoptera (PDF). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Conservation, New Zealand. p. 24. ISBN 0478218672. OCLC 154670803.