Tingena homodoxa is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae.[2] It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the southern parts of the South Island. It inhabits open grassy slopes and is on the wing from November until January.

Tingena homodoxa
Male lectotype
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Oecophoridae
Genus: Tingena
Species:
T. homodoxa
Binomial name
Tingena homodoxa
(Meyrick, 1883)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Oecophora homodoxa Meyrick, 1883
  • Borkhausenia homodoxa (Meyrick, 1883)

Taxonomy

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This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1883 using specimens he collected near Lake Wakatipu in December.[3] He originally named the species Oecophora homodoxa.[3] Meyrick went on to give a fuller description of the species in 1884.[4] In 1915 Meyrick placed this species within the Borkhausenia genus.[5] In 1926 Alfred Philpott studied the genitalia of the male of this species.[6] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under the name B. homodoxa in his 1928 publication The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[7] In 1988 J. S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Tingena.[2] The male lectotype, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[2]

Description

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Illustration of T. homodoxa by George Hudson.

Meyrick originally described this species as follows:

Fore wings whitish-grey, closely irrorated with darker, a mark on fold and another on anal angle hardly darker ; hind wings grey.[3]

Meyrick in 1884 described this species as follows:

Male, female. — 15+12-17+12- mm. Head, palpi, thorax, and legs light grey finely irrorated with dark fuscous. Antennae dark fuscous. Abdomen light grey. Forewings elongate, costa moderately arched, apex pointed, hindmargin very oblique, hardly rounded ; pale whitish-grey, very finely and closely irrorated with dark fuscous-grey ; indications of an inwardly oblique dark fuscous mark beneath fold about 13, and a perpendicular mark on anal angle, both almost obsolete : cilia grey-whitish, with several rows of dark fuscous-grey points. Hindwings grey, in female rather darker ; cilia light grey, with a cloudy darker basal line.[4]

Distribution

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This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been found on the lower slopes of Mount Aurum near Lake Wakatipu as well as at Ben Lomond.[1][7]

Behaviour

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The adults of this species are on the wing from November until January.[7]

Habitat

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This species inhabits open grassy slopes at altitudes of around 3000 ft.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 462. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  2. ^ a b c d John Stewart Dugdale (23 September 1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. 14. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research: 102. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  3. ^ a b c Edward Meyrick (September 1883). "Descriptions of New Zealand Micro-Lepidoptera.—III.—Oecophoridae". New Zealand Journal of Science. 1: 525. Wikidata Q106368126.
  4. ^ a b Edward Meyrick (1884). "Descriptions of New Zealand Microlepidoptera. III. Oecophoridae". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 16: 43. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q63976486.
  5. ^ E. Meyrick (12 July 1915). "Revision of New Zealand Tineina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 47: 213. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q63123349.
  6. ^ Alfred Philpott (1926). "List of New Zealand species of Borkhausenia (Oecophoridae: Lepidoptera), including new species". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 56: 399–413. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q110157185.
  7. ^ a b c d George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 268, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286