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Tingena idiogama

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Tingena idiogama
Male lectotype
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Oecophoridae
Genus: Tingena
Species:
T. idiogama
Binomial name
Tingena idiogama
(Meyrick, 1924)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Borkhausenia idiogama Meyrick, 1924

Tingena idiogama is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae.[2] It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed on the slopes of Mount Taranaki. Its preferred habitat is native subalpine scrub and adults are on the wing in January.

Taxonomy

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The species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1924 using specimens collected at Mount Taranaki in January and named Borkhausenia idiogama.[3] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand also under the same name.[4] In 1988 J. S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Tingena.[2] The male lectotype specimen, collected at Mount Taranaki is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[2]

Description

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Illustration of T. idiogama by George Hudson.

Meyrick described this species as follows:

♂♀. 15–16 mm. Head and thorax bronzy-grey, orbits in ♂ paleyellowish. Palpi grey, in ♂ suffused pale-yellowish towards base, apex of second joint whitish. Antennal cilation of ♂ 1. Abdomen dark grey, in ♂ anal tuft and exserted genitalia whitish-ochreous, in ♀ a short whitishochreous scale-tuft beneath from praeanal segment, ovipositor exserted, filiform. Forewings light grey, irregularly and suffusedly irrorated ochreous-whitish or light yellow-ochreous, especially posteriorly, a few scattered dark-grey scales; plical stigma blackish-grey, beneath it in ♀ an oblique spot of whitish suffusion; an inwardly-oblique streak of dark-fuscous suffusion from tornus, its apex indicating second discal stigma: cilia pale grey, suffusedly mixed or mostly suffused pale ochreous-yellowish. Hindwings dark grey; cilia grey.[3]

Hudson stated that this species is variable in appearance in particular its discal markings on the forewings.[4]

Distribution

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This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been found on the lower slopes of Mount Taranaki.[1][4]

Behaviour

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The adults of this species are on the wing in January.[4]

Habitat

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This species prefers subalpine scrub habitat.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 462. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  2. ^ a b c d John Stewart Dugdale (23 September 1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. 14. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research: 102. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  3. ^ a b E. Meyrick (1924). "Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 55: 661–662. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q110305498.
  4. ^ a b c d e George Vernon Hudson (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 266, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286