Biology:Declana floccosa

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Short description: Species of moth

Declana floccosa
Declana floccosa male.jpg
Male specimen
Declana floccosa female.jpg
Female specimen
Scientific classification
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D. floccosa
Binomial name
Declana floccosa
Walker, 1858[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Salmon, 1946 Walker, 1863
  • Declana nigrosparsa Declana scabra
  • Butler, 1879 Declana callista

Declana floccosa, the forest semilooper or manuka moth is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand.[1] It was first described by Francis Walker in 1863 using specimens obtained from Colonel Bolton.[2]

The wingspan of this species is 27–35 mm and is extremely variable in colour and patterning.[3][4][5]

The larvae feed on a wide range of native and exotic broad-leaved and coniferous shrubs and trees.[6] Exotic hosts include Pinus radiata and other Pinus species, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Larix and Eucalyptus.[3] Native hosts include Muehlenbeckia australis.[7]

Population decline and recovery

A longitudinal study from 1974 to 2016 indicated the population of this moth declined sharply in the study area in the mid-1980s but began to recover in the late 1990s.[5] It has been hypothesised that the arrival of Vespula vulgaris in New Zealand might be the cause of the population decline.[5] It was also hypothesised that the recovery in population may have been brought about as a result of the extended emergence period of this moth which gave those moths emerging later in the season the ability to avoid predation by wasps.[5]

References

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q5249401 entry