Aletia cyanopetra

Aletia cyanopetra is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as "Data Deficient" by the Department of Conservation.

Aletia cyanopetra
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Noctuidae
Genus:
Aletia
Species:
A. cyanopetra
Binomial name
Aletia cyanopetra
(Meyrick, 1927)[1]
Synonyms
  • Melanchra cyanopetra Meyrick, 1927
  • Graphania cyanopetra (Meyrick, 1927)

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1927 and named Melanchra cyanopetra.[2] It was discovered by Amy Castle at Waiho Gorge in South Westland in February and April.[3] In 1971 John S. Dugdale proposed placing this species within the genus Graphania.[4] Then in 1988 Dugdale placed the species in the genus Aletia.[5]

However the genus level classification of species of New Zealand endemic moths within the genus Aletia is regarded as unsatisfactory and is under revision.[6] It is likely that this species will be removed from the genus Aletia and be placed within one of the following genera: Physetica, Graphania, Tmetolophota or Ichneutica.[6] As such this species is currently also known as Aletia (s.l.) cyanopetra.[1]

Description

Meyrick described the species as follows:

♂ 36 mm., ♀ 40 mm. Head, palpi, and thorax dark bluish-grey. Antennae ♂ serrate, moderately fasciculate-ciliated. Abdomen grey. Forewings posteriorly dilated, termen bowed, rather oblique, waved; rather dark bluish-grey; first line posteriorly and second anteriorly edged by fine interrupted waved black lines or crescentic marks, second edged posteriorly by some black dots; median shade slender, indistinct, dark grey, irregularly dentate; orbicular and reniform of ground-colour, partially or hardly edged dark grey, orbicular round, reniform transverse, without white scales; claviform obsolete; subterminal line slender, faintly pale or slightly whitish-tinged, without perceptible teeth; cilia grey. Hindwings grey, somewhat darker terminally, veins darker; cilia grey, tips whitish.[3]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[2][1] As well as the type locality, this species has also been collected at Camp Creek, Craigieburn Range[7] and at the Hunter River near Lake Hāwea in Otago.[8]

Biology and ecology

The host species for the larvae of A. cyanopetra is unknown.[9]

Conservation status

This species has been classified as having the "Data Deficient" conservation status under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[10]

gollark: Hmm, well. It might have been that somehow then.
gollark: I mean, it had curl.
gollark: Yet had three snap packages installed?
gollark: It was "minimized".
gollark: Well, the instance shipped with a Ubuntu installed which lacked nano and ping yet still occupied 1.2GB.

References
  1. Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity. Volume two. Kingdom animalia : chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. Christchurch, N.Z.: Canterbury University Press. p. 461. ISBN 9781877257933. OCLC 973607714.
  2. "Aletia cyanopetra (Meyrick, 1927)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  3. Meyrick, Edward (1927). "Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 58: 313–316. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  4. Dugdale, J. S. (1971). "Entomology of the Aucklands and other islands south of New Zealand: Lepidoptera, excluding non-crambine Pyralidae". Pacific Insects Monograph. 27: 55–172.
  5. Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 199 – via Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd.
  6. Hoare, R.J.B.; Rhode, B.E.; Emmerson, A.W. (March 2012). "Larger moths of New Zealand: Image gallery and online guide". Landcare Research. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  7. "Aletia cyanopetra (Meyrick, 1927)". www.collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  8. "Aletia cyanopetra". www.AucklandMuseum.com. 22 November 2002. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  9. Patrick, Brian; Dugdale, John S. (2000). Conservation status of the New Zealand lepidoptera (PDF). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Conservation, New Zealand. p. 19. ISBN 0478218672. OCLC 154670803. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-05-01. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  10. 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). New Zealand Threat Classification Series. 20: 7.
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