Austrocidaria praerupta

Austrocidaria praerupta
Holotype specimen
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Austrocidaria
Species:
A. praerupta
Binomial name
Austrocidaria praerupta
(Philpott, 1918)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Hydriomena praerupta Philpott, 1918

Austrocidaria praerupta, also known as the mountain Coprosma carpet moth, is a species of moth of the family Geometridae.[2] It endemic to New Zealand and is found in the South Island. This moth is associated with plant species in the genus Coprosma and adults are on the wing in November and December.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1918 using a specimen collected on Mount Cleughearn in the Hunter Mountains in Fiordland.[3] Philpott originally named this species Hydriomena praerupta.[3] In 1928 George Hudson discussed this species as a synonym of Hydriomena callichlora.[4] Later in 1928 Philpott disagreed with this synonymisation and discussed this species under the name H. praerupta.[5] In 1943 W. George Howes agreed with Philpott that H. praerupta should be treated as a distinct species.[6] Hudson subsequently accepted this in his 1950 publication.[7] Despite this the taxonomic status of this species is still in doubt and requires further investigation.[8] In 1971 John S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Austrocidaria.[9] The male holotype specimen is held in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.[2]

Description

Philpott described this species as follows:

♂. 33-34 mm. Head yellowish-green. Palpi yellowish-green mixed with brown. Antennae brown, ochreous-tinged. Thorax yellowish-green mixed with black. Abdomen ochreous. Legs ochreous-grey, more or less infuscated. Forewings triangular, costa moderately arched, apex obtuse, termen slightly bowed ; yellowish-green : markings dark olive-green ; a curved irregular band near base, preceded by an obscure line ; space between basal and median bands pale ground-colour with suffused dark median area ; median band broad, anterior margin curved, with strong indentations above and below middle, posterior margin irregularly curved, with strong bidentate projection at middle; subterminal line greenish-white, subdentate, broadlv margined anteriorly with dark suffusion which almost touches projection of median band, thus nearly interrupting the stripe of pale ground-colour ; an oblique dark striga from below apex to terminal line, deliminating a pale subtriangular apical patch; a crenate blackish terminal line: cilia yellowish-green with some dark scales. Hindwings grey-whitish : a waved fuscous median line and several similar but imperfect preceding and following lines ; a thin blackish crenate line on termen : cilia ochreous-grey.[3]

Philpott points out that this species is very similar in appearance to Hydriomena callichlora but at it can be distinguished by the pale apical area, the more dentate subterminal line, and the stronger projection of the posterior margin of the median band on its forewings.[3]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the South Island.[1][7]

Habitat and hosts

This species is associated with plants in the genus Coprosma.[10]

Behaviour

Adults have been observed on the wing in November and December.[11]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Austrocidaria praerupta.
  1. ^ a b "Austrocidaria praerupta (Philpott, 1918)". www.nzor.org.nz. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  2. ^ a b c Dugdale , J. S. (23 September 1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. 14. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research: 176. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  3. ^ a b c d Alfred Philpott (1918). "Descriptions of new species of Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute (in English and English). 50: 125. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q109591818.BHL page 3291817 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ Hudson, G. V. (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 100, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286
  5. ^ Alfred Philpott (September 1928). "Notes and Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 59: 484. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q68431664.
  6. ^ W George Howes (1943). "Lepidoptera Collecting at the Homer. With Descriptions of Two New Species" (PDF). Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 73: 93. ISSN 1176-6166. Wikidata Q89182730.
  7. ^ a b George Vernon Hudson (1950), Fragments of New Zealand entomology. - a popular account of all New Zealand cicadas. The natural history of the New Zealand glow-worm. A second supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand and notes on many other native insects., Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 86, Wikidata Q107693053
  8. ^ Hoare, R. J. B; Rhode, B. E.; Emmerson, A. W. (March 2012). "Families and subfamilies of larger moths". Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research. Retrieved 2025-08-04.
  9. ^ Dugdale, J. S. (10 November 1971). "Entomology of the Aucklands and other islands south of New Zealand: Lepidoptera, excluding non-crambine Pyralidae". Pacific Insects Monographs. 27: 97–98. ISSN 0078-7515. Wikidata Q64006453.
  10. ^ Sweney, W. J. (1980), Insects of Mount Cook National Park, Research@Lincoln, p. 318, hdl:10182/4038, Wikidata Q112072993
  11. ^ "Austrocidaria praerupta". Auckland War Memorial Museum. 2025. Retrieved 2025-08-04.
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