Biology:Ichneutica cana

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Short description: Species of moth, endemic to New Zealand

Ichneutica cana
Ichneutica cana female.jpg
Female
Ichneutica cana male.jpg
Male
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Ichneutica
Species:
I. cana
Binomial name
Ichneutica cana
Howes, 1914[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • (Hudson, 1918) Hudson, 1918
  • Ichneutica homerica Aletia empyrea
  • Howes, 1943 Ichneutica empyrea

Ichneutica cana is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand.[1]

Taxonomy

I. cana was first described by George Howes in 1914 from a single male specimen collected in the Garvie Mountains, near Lake Wakatipu in Otago.[2] This species was illustrated and discussed in George Hudson's 1928 book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[3] John S. Dugdale agreed with the placement of this species within the genus Ichneutica in 1988.[4] Robert J. B. Hoare also confirmed the placement of this species within the genus Ichneutica in his major review of New Zealand Noctuidae species in 2019.[1]

Description

Howes originally described the species as follows:

Face grey. Palpi blackish at base. Head and thorax grey, frontal area lighter grey. Head and thorax densely clothed with long dark-grey hair. Thorax broad in proportion to length, with a slight posterior crest. Abdomen grey. Forewings grey, with pale grey lines and occasional darker marks. A single light-grey line at base; a jagged grey line about ​15, strongly dentate near dorsum; outwardly suffused with dark grey. Orbicular faintly shown in light grey, and separated from reniform by a distinct dark-grey patch. Reniform faintly outlined in light grey. A jagged light-grey line at ​34, bending towards termen until centre of wing, then inwards before reaching dorsum. Terminal edge margined with light grey, edged basally with a dark suffusion, which forms a faintly defined line; slight grey marks along veins where they reach termen. Cilia short, light grey and dark grey alternate patches. Hindwings light grey with a faint ochreous tinge, a darker band across wing at J and a slightly waved subterminal band. Terminal edge and cilia grey-white. Underside grey with a faint ochreous tinge and a well-defined irregular dark-grey line at about ​34 across both wings.[2]

I. cana is similar in appearance to I. eris but there are visual differences between the two species.[1]

Geographic range

This species is found only in the South Island, in the eastern and southern parts of that Island as well as in Fiordland.[1] Unlike I. eris, I. cana does not appear to be present in the north-west of the South Island.[1]

Habitat

I. cana can be found in alpine habitat.[1]

Life history and host species

The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of its larvae.[1]

Behaviour

The adults of this species are on the wing during December and January.[1] The males of this species are on the wing during sunny days, and both sexes are attracted to light.[1]

References

Wikidata ☰ Q13357915 entry