Biology:Stigmella childi

Short description: Species of moth endemic to New Zealand

Stigmella childi
Male holotype
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nepticulidae
Genus:	Stigmella
Species:	S. childi
Binomial name
Stigmella childi Donner & Wilkinson, 1989

Stigmella childi is a species of moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the southern parts of the South Island. This species inhabits subalpine and alpine grassland and herbfields. The larvae of this species are leaf miners and feed on the leaves of Celmisia haastii. Adults have been observed on the wing in January.

Taxonomy

This species was first described in 1989 by Hans Donner and Christopher Wilkinson from specimens collected in Fiordland. The male holotype specimen, collected at Lake McKenzie in the Murchison Mountains, at 1200 m altitude on the 10 January 1984 by B.H. Patrick, is held in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.

Description

Donner and Wilkinson described the adult male of this species as follows:

Head. Frontal tuft and scape rusty brown; collar brown-grey; antenna brownishgrey, comprising 30 segments. Thorax grey-brown. Forewing about 2 mm long, grey brown, lustrous, reflecting gold; fringe grey. Hindwing and fringe pale grey. Abdomen brown-grey.

They described the adult female of the species as follows:

Head. Frontal tuft orange; scape and collar buff. Thorax buff. Forewing buff, lustrous, reflecting silver, with a terminal dark grey area. Abdomen buff.

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the South Island.

Habitat

This species inhabits subalpine and alpine grassland and herbfields, the preferred habitat of their host plant.

Behaviour

The larvae of this species mine the leaves of their host plant. Adults are on the wing in January.

Host

Larval host C. haastii.

The larvae feed on the leaves of Celmisia haastii.

References

Wikidata ☰ Q7616586 entry