Asaphodes limonodes

Asaphodes limonodes is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand.

Asaphodes limonodes
Female
Male
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Asaphodes
Species:
A. limonodes
Binomial name
Asaphodes limonodes
(Meyrick, 1888)[1]
Synonyms[2][3]
  • Epyaxa limonodes Meyrick, 1888
  • Xanthorhoe limonodes (Meyrick, 1888)
  • Larentia limonodes (Meyrick, 1887)

Taxonomy

This species was described by Edward Meyrick in 1888 as Epyaxa limonodes using material collected by George Hudson in Wellington.[2][4] Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in 1898 as Xanthorhoe limonodes.[5] He also discussed and illustrated this moth under this same name in his 1928 book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[6] In 1971 John S. Dugdale placed this species within the genus Asaphodes.[7] The lectotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[2]

Description

Meyrick described the species as follows:

Male. — 25-26 mm. Head and thorax light ochreous-yellowish, somewhat sprinkled with dark fuscous. Palpi fuscous. Antennae pale greyish-ochreous. Abdomen pale yellow-ochreous, segmental margins dotted with blackish. Legs dark fuscous, apex of joints pale yellowish, posterior pair suffused with whitish-yellowish. Forewings with costa strongly arched on posterior half, hindmargin sinuate, somewhat oblique; light ochreous-yellowish; a basal patch of closely placed fuscous transverse lines; four series of white dots on veins, preceded and followed by black dots; first curved, within edge of basal patch; second from ​1⁄3 of costa to ​2⁄5 of inner margin, followed by two fuscous lines; third front beyond ​2⁄3 of costa to ​3⁄4 of inner margin, rather angulated in middle, sinuate inwards above middle, preceded by three obscure fuscous lines coalescing to form a small cloudy dark patch above middle; all fuscous lines terminating in black dots on costa; a black discal dot in middle; fourth series subterminal; a subtriangular dark fuscous blotch on hindmargin beneath apex; cilia light ochreous-yellowish, tips white. Hindwings and cilia wholly pale whitish-ochreous.[4]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[1][8] This species has been found in both the North and South Islands at Waimarino, Ohakune, Mount Taranaki, Wellington, Buller River, Otira, Poherua and Lake Wakatipu.[6]

Biology and life cycle

This species is on the wing from November until March.[6]

Habitat and host plant

A. limonodes prefers damp forest habitat.[6]

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References
  1. "Asaphodes limonodes (Meyrick, 1888)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  2. Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 173. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  3. Beccaloni, G.; Scoble, M.; Kitching, I.; Simonsen, T.; Robinson, G.; Pitkin, B.; Hine, A.; Lyal, C., eds. (2003). "Asaphodes limonodes". The Global Lepidoptera Names Index. Natural History Museum. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  4. Meyrick, Edward (1888). "Notes on New Zealand Geometrina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 20: 47–62 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  5. Hudson, G. V. (1898). New Zealand Moths and Butterflies (Macro-lepidoptera). London. p. 57. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.7912. OCLC 727236768. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  6. Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 116. OCLC 25449322.
  7. 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.
  8. Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity. Volume Two. Kingdom Animalia: Chaetognatha, Ecdysozoa, Ichnofossils. Christchurch, N.Z.: Canterbury University Press. p. 459. ISBN 9781877257933. OCLC 973607714.


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