Sabatinca doroxena
| Sabatinca doroxena | |
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| Species: | M. doroxena
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| Binomial name | |
| Micropardalis doroxena | |
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Micropardalis doroxena is a species of moth belonging to the family Micropterigidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1888.[2][3] It is endemic to the North Island of New Zealand.[4]
Taxonomy
In 2014 the taxonomy of this species was revised and placed within the genus Sabatinca. It is now known as Sabatinca doroxena.[4]
Description
Meyrick described the species as follows:
Female wingspan 11 mm. Head and palpi light ochreous, sides of crown brown. Antennae dark fuscous, annulated with whitish-ochreous. Thorax ochreous-brown. Abdomen dark grey. Legs dark grey, ringed with pale ochreous. Forewings oblong, costa abruptly bent near base, thence gently arched, apex round-pointed, hindmargin straight, very oblique; neuration quite as in P. chalcophanes, but 7 and 8 separate; pale shining golden; two rather narrow oblique coppery-bronze fasciæ from costa near base and at 1⁄3, confluent on inner margin before middle; a straight rather narrow whitish-purplish fascia, margined with coppery-bronze, from middle of costa to inner margin beyond middle; a whitish-purplish black-margined transverse spot from costa at 2⁄3, reaching half across wing; a black semi-annular mark, its extremities touching costa at 4⁄5 and apex, marked with three shining whitish-purplish spots, and including a spot of ground-colour which contains a black costal dot; a semi-oval black anal blotch, not marginal except at extremities, containing three shining whitish-purplish spots near lower edge, and one in a small projection on upper edge: cilia pale golden, with blackish apical, median, and anal spots. Hindwings dark purple-grey; cilia grey.[3]
Adults have a black wing margin decorated with shining silver spots and various diagonal bands. It is thought to represent a face-on view of a jumping spider. Instead of waiting motionlessly, it is thought the spider would be tempted to signal to an image of another spider, thus allowing the moth to escape predation.
References
- ^ "NZOR Name Details - Micropardalis doroxena (Meyrick, 1888)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
- ^ Beccaloni, G.; Scoble, M.; Kitching, I.; Simonsen, T.; Robinson, G.; Pitkin, B.; Hine, A.; Lyal, C., eds. (2003). "Sabatinca doroxena". The Global Lepidoptera Names Index. Natural History Museum. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
- ^ a b Meyrick, Edward (1888). "Descriptions on New Zealand Tineina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 20: 77–106 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- ^ a b Gibbs, G. W. (2014). "Micropterigidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera)" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 72: 1–127 – via Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd.