Micropardalis doroxena

Micropardalis doroxena is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1888.[2][3] It is endemic to the North Island of New Zealand.[4]

Micropardalis doroxena
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Micropterigidae
Genus:
Micropardalis
Species:
M. doroxena
Binomial name
Micropardalis doroxena
(Meyrick, 1888)[1]
Synonyms
  • Palaeomicra doroxena Meyrick, 1888

Taxonomy

In 2014 the taxonomy of this species was revised and placed within the genus Sabatinca. It is now known as Sabatinca doroxena.[4]

Description

Meyrick described the species as follows:

Female wingspan 11 mm. Head and palpi light ochreous, sides of crown brown. Antennae dark fuscous, annulated with whitish-ochreous. Thorax ochreous-brown. Abdomen dark grey. Legs dark grey, ringed with pale ochreous. Forewings oblong, costa abruptly bent near base, thence gently arched, apex round-pointed, hindmargin straight, very oblique; neuration quite as in P. chalcophanes, but 7 and 8 separate; pale shining golden; two rather narrow oblique coppery-bronze fasciæ from costa near base and at ​1⁄3, confluent on inner margin before middle; a straight rather narrow whitish-purplish fascia, margined with coppery-bronze, from middle of costa to inner margin beyond middle; a whitish-purplish black-margined transverse spot from costa at ​2⁄3, reaching half across wing; a black semi-annular mark, its extremities touching costa at ​4⁄5 and apex, marked with three shining whitish-purplish spots, and including a spot of ground-colour which contains a black costal dot; a semi-oval black anal blotch, not marginal except at extremities, containing three shining whitish-purplish spots near lower edge, and one in a small projection on upper edge: cilia pale golden, with blackish apical, median, and anal spots. Hindwings dark purple-grey; cilia grey.[3]

Adults have a black wing margin decorated with shining silver spots and various diagonal bands. It is thought to represent a face-on view of a jumping spider. Instead of waiting motionlessly, it is thought the spider would be tempted to signal to an image of another spider, thus allowing the moth to escape predation.

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References
  1. "NZOR Name Details - Micropardalis doroxena (Meyrick, 1888)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  2. Beccaloni, G.; Scoble, M.; Kitching, I.; Simonsen, T.; Robinson, G.; Pitkin, B.; Hine, A.; Lyal, C., eds. (2003). "Micropardalis doroxena". The Global Lepidoptera Names Index. Natural History Museum. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  3. Meyrick, Edward (1888). "Descriptions on New Zealand Tineina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 20: 77–106 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  4. Gibbs, G. W. (2014). "Micropterigidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera)" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 72: 1–127 – via Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd.
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