Biology:Pseudocoremia insignita

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Short description: Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Pseudocoremia insignita
Pseudocoremia insignita female.jpg
Female
Pseudocoremia insignita male.jpg
Male
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Pseudocoremia
Species:
P. insignita
Binomial name
Pseudocoremia insignita
(Philpott, 1930)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Selidosema insignita Philpott, 1930

Pseudocoremia insignita, also referred to by the common name tree nettle flash, is a species of moth in the family Geometridae.[3][4] It is endemic to New Zealand.[1]

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1930 under the name Selidosema insignita.[5] In 1988 J. S. Dugdale synonymised P. pergrata into this species, however in 2003 P. pergrata was reinstated as species separate from P. insignita.[4][2]

Description

Philpott described the species as follows:

♂. 32 mm. Head and palpi brown. Thorax greyish brown. Antennae brown, in ♂ moderately bipectinated, pectinations gradually decreasing in length apically, last twelve or thirteen segments simple. Abdomen greyish ochreous, sprinkled with fuscous. Legs ochreous, mixed with fuscous, anterior pair blackish, all tarsi annulated with ochreous. Forewings elongate triangular, costa moderately arched, apex blunt, termen bowed, oblique; whitish ochreous; basal 3/5 fuscous brown; first line indicated by ochreous outwards-curved fascia on costa at 1/4; outer edge of median band (margin of dark area) broadly and strongly projecting at middle, margined with white; a broad brownish terminal area including obscure white waved subterminal line: fringes (damaged) apparently brown mixed with ochreous. Hindwings pale ochreous sparsely sprinkled with brown; an interrupted brown line round termen: fringes ochreous.[5]

Philpott noted that the shape of the outer median band margin differed from all other New Zealand species in the (then) Selidosema genus. The holotype was collected from Kaeo in the Far North District on 16 January 1921 by C. B. Clarke, and kept in the collection of Auckland War Memorial Museum.[5][6]

Gallery

References

Wikidata ☰ Q13558195 entry