Notoreas isoleuca

Notoreas isoleuca is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand.

Notoreas isoleuca
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Notoreas
Species:
N. isoleuca
Binomial name
Notoreas isoleuca
Meyrick, 1897

Taxonomy

This species was first described in 1897 by Edward Meyrick using material collected in Castle Hill by George Hudson.[1][2] Meyrick temporarily suppressed this taxon in 1905 having come to the conclusion that it was a form of N. mechanitis but after a close study of the group Meyrick reinstated it in 1911.[3] Hudson also discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[4]

The genus Notoreas was reviewed in 1986 by R. C. Craw and the placement of this species within it was confirmed.[5] However some experts regard this species as being of dubious taxonomic status and in need of further taxonomic investigation.[6] The holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[7]

Description

Meyrick described the species as follows:

♀︎. 20 mm. Head and thorax ochreous-yellow, mixed with black. Forewings with termen bowed, rather oblique; dark fuscous, irregularly sprinkled with yellow; a cloudy transverse streak of yellow irroration near base, and another of yellow and white scales near beyond it, bent near costa; a curved white streak at ​1⁄3, suffused with yellow on costa and in middle; a rather irregular tolerably straight white streak in middle, suffused with yellow towards costa, middle, and dorsum; a white streak at ​2⁄3, obtusely angulated in middle, yellow on costa; subterminal line very fine, yellow, irregular, forming small spots on costa and in middle: cilia white, basal half fuscous. Hindwings as in forewings, but first three streaks obsolete, other two nearer base, post-median curved, hardly angulated.[1]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[2] N. isoleuca has been found around Arthur's Pass and Ben Lomond as well as Mount Peel.[4][3]

Life cycle and behaviour

This species normally produces two broods per year but it has been hypothesised that at some localities it may produce only once in a season.[8] The female moth lays her eggs within the flower buds of their host plant.[9] When the larvae emerge from their eggs, they eat into the leaves or buds of their host, hiding from predators.[9] Once they are large enough, they emerge to feed from the fresh growth of the plant.[9] N. elegans pupate in a loose cocoon on the ground under their host.[9] The species spends approximately 43 days in their cocoon before emerging as an adult.[8] N. isoleuca are day-flying moths.[9] They are low but fast flyers and constantly vibrate their wings to enable them to take off rapidly.[9]

Host species

The host plants for the larvae of Notoreas isoleuca are endemic species within the genus Kelleria.[10]

Biology and behaviour

This day-flying species is on the wing from January to March.[11]

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References
  1. Meyrick, Edward (16 December 1897). "Descriptions of New Lepidoptera from Australia and New Zealand". Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London. 45 (4): 367–390. doi:10.1111/J.1365-2311.1897.TB00976.X – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  2. "Notoreas isoleuca Meyrick, 1897". www.nzor.org.nz. Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  3. Prout, L. B. (1939). "Geometridae: Fauna Indo-Australica". The Macrolepidoptera of the World. 12: 237–292 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  4. Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 125. OCLC 25449322.
  5. Craw, R.C. (5 January 2012). "Review of the genus Notoreas (sensu auctorum) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Larentiinae)". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 13 (1): 131–140. doi:10.1080/03014223.1986.10422654.
  6. Hoare, R. J. B; Rhode, B.E.; Emmerson, A.W. (2011). "Larger moths of New Zealand: Image gallery and online guide". Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  7. Dugdale, John S. (1988-09-23). Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14. pp. 1–264. ISBN 978-0-477-02518-8 – via Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research.
  8. Patrick, BH; Hoare, RJB; Rhode, BE (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.
  9. Patrick, Brian (Autumn 2015). "Discovering New Zealand's gorgeous moths" (PDF). Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. New Zealand: Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand Trust. p. 13. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  10. "PlantSynz - Invertebrate herbivore biodiversity assessment". plant-synz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research. Retrieved 2018-12-09.
  11. Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 126. OCLC 25449322.
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