Notoreas blax

Notoreas blax is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. This moth frequents alpine habitat and can be found in the Canterbury and Otago regions.

Notoreas blax
Female
Male
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Notoreas
Species:
N. blax
Binomial name
Notoreas blax
Prout, 1939[1]

Taxonomy

This species was described by Louis Beethoven Prout in 1939 using material collected by George Howes at Bold Peak, Humboldt Range.[2][1] In 1986 R. C. Craw reviewed the genus Notoreas and confirmed the inclusion of N. blax within it.[3] The holotype specimen of this species is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[1]

Description

This species has a wingspan of between 20 – 22 mm and is similar in appearance to N. atmogramma.[2] However it is paler on the upper side of its wings and is slightly less brown than a typical N. atmogramma.[2]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[4][5] It is found in West Otago localities in the high alpine zone of mountain ranges.[6] It has also been found in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park also in the high alpine zone of that park.[7]

Biology and behaviour

This species is a day flying moth.[6] It is on the wing in February.[2] Adult moths, when settled, continue to vibrate their wings ensuring they are immediately ready to take off should they be disturbed.[8] Although they prefer sunshine they will continue to fly when conditions are cloudy.[8] They fly relatively low to the ground.[8] When resting for long periods they adopt the posture of holding their wings together above their body.[8]

Habitat and host species

This species frequents alpine habitat.[6] The larvae of this species feed on dwarf shrubs of Kelleria species including Kelleria croizatii.[6][7]

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References
  1. Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 184. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  2. Prout, L. B. (1939). "Geometridae: Fauna Indo-Australica". The Macrolepidoptera of the World (Stuttgart). 12: 237–292 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  3. Craw, R.C. (5 January 2012). "Review of the genus Notoreas (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Larentiinae)". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 13 (1): 131–140. doi:10.1080/03014223.1986.10422654.
  4. "Notoreas blax Prout, 1939". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2018-06-16.
  5. 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. 460. ISBN 9781877257933. OCLC 973607714.
  6. Mt Aspiring Station-Conservation Resources Report pt1 (PDF) (Report). Land Information New Zealand Ltd. November 2005. pp. 1–96. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  7. Peat, Neville; Patrick, Brian (2001). Wild rivers : discovering the natural history of the Central South Island. Dunedin: University of Otago Press. p. 127. ISBN 9781877276156.
  8. Patrick, BH; Hoare, RJB; Rhode, BE (December 2010). "Taxonomy and conservation of allopatric moth populations: a revisionary study of the Notoreas perornata Walker complex (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Larentiinae), with special reference to southern New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 37 (4): 257–283. doi:10.1080/03014223.2010.511127.
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