Biology:Heterocrossa sanctimonea

Short description: Species of moth

Heterocrossa sanctimonea
Female holotype specimen
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Carposinidae
Genus:	Heterocrossa
Species:	H. sanctimonea
Binomial name
Heterocrossa sanctimonea (Clarke, 1926)
Synonyms
Carposina sanctimonea Clarke, 1926

Heterocrossa sanctimonea is a moth of the Carposinidae family first described by Charles E. Clarke in 1926. It is endemic to New Zealand.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Charles Edwin Clarke in 1926 and originally named Carposina sanctimonea. When describing this species, Clarke used three specimens collected at Arthur's Pass in January 1923 at an altitude of 3,500 ft (1,100 m). In 1928 George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under that name in his publication The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. In 1988 John S. Dugdale placed this species within the genus Heterocrossa. This placement was agreed with by Dr Robert J. B. Hoare in the New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity. The male holotype specimen is held in the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

Description

Illustration of species by George Hudson.

The wingspan is about 23 mm (0.91 in). The head is whitish, the thorax grey-white, the antennae whitish and the abdomen pale grey. The forewings are elongate, posteriorly somewhat dilated, the costa gently arched, the apex bluntly acute and the termen almost straight. They are pale grey-white with cloudy markings of dark fuscous. The hindwings are pale grey-white. This species can be distinguished from other species within its genus by its mostly white colouring and that it is larger in size.

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been collected at Arthur's Pass.

References

Wikidata ☰ Q13911147 entry