Heterocrossa contactella
{{Short description|Species of moth endemic to New Zealand}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Heterocrossa contactella 242553973.jpg
| image_caption =
| taxon = Heterocrossa contactella
| authority = (Walker, 1866)
| synonyms =
{{Specieslist
|Tinea contactella|Walker, 1866
|Carposina amalodes|Meyrick, 1911
|Carposina contactella|(Walker, 1866)
}}
}}
Heterocrossa contactella is a species of moth in the family Carposinidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be observed in both the North and South Islands. The preferred habitat of this species is native forest and scrub, especially where Leptospermum shrubs are found. Adults are on the wing in December and January.
Taxonomy
This species was described by Francis Walker in 1866 using material collected in Nelson by T. R. Oxley in 1860 and named Tinea contactella.{{Cite Q|Q45083134|pages=130}}{{Cite Q|Q115099201|pages=1813-1814}} In 1905 Edward Meyrick placed this species within the genus Heterocrossa.{{Cite Q|Q54553180|pages=235}} In 1911, thinking he was describing a new species, Edward Meyrick named the moth Carposina amalodes.{{Cite Q|Q58200989|pages=61-62}} In 1922 Meyrick listed Heterocrossa as a synonym for Carposina. George Hudson, in his 1928 publication The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand, discusses this species under both the names Carposina contactella and Carposina amalodes.{{Cite book|url=http://www.bugz.org.nz/WebForms/ResultDetails.aspx?CurrentDoc=C7E94865-492F-45DA-9777-CC8E1E8B1438&back=true&NewDoc=true&searchType=1&SearchString=G.V.+Hudson|title=The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand|last=Hudson|first=G. V.|publisher=Ferguson & Osborn Ltd.|year=1928|location=Wellington|pages=215, 216|oclc=25449322|author-link=George Hudson (entomologist)}} In 1978 Elwood Zimmerman argued that the genus Heterocrassa should not be a synonym of Carposina as the genitalia of the species within the genus Heterocrassa are distinctive.{{Cite book|title=Insects of Hawaii.|last=Zimmerman|first=Elwood|publisher=University of Hawaii Press.|year=1978|isbn=9780824804879|volume=9|location=Hawaii|pages=797|hdl = 10125/7338}} In 1988 John S. Dugdale synonymised the name Carposina amalodes and assigned the species to the genus Heterocrossa. This placement was followed by the New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity. The lectotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.
Description
File:Heterocrossa contactella lectotype.jpg
Meyrick described the species as follows:
{{blockquote|♀︎. 14–15 mm. Head white. Palpi {{frac|2|1|2}}, white, lower longitudinal half blackish. Antennas white, obscurely ringed with fuscous. Thorax whitish-ochreous mixed with dark grey, collar and patagia white. Abdomen pale greyish-ochreous. Fore-wings elongate, narrow, costa moderately arched, apex round-pointed, termen very oblique, almost straight, rounded beneath; grey, irregularly irrorated with dark grey and white; a broad irregular-edged white suffusion extending along anterior half of costa, and reaching {{frac|2|3}} across wing; three or four small black dots on costa anteriorly, second forming a short strigula; a narrow oblique-transverse pale ochreous spot edged with black below middle at {{frac|1|3}}; a black dot above middle of disc, and a small pale ochreous sometimes blackish-mixed spot below it; three small faint whitish-ochreous spots arranged in a triangle in disc beyond middle; all these ochreous spots are ringed with white suffusion; an undefined angulated dark subterminal shade, marked with black on veins; a series of blackish dots on posterior half of costa and termen : cilia light grey irrorated with white, basal half obscurely barred with whitish. Hind-wings grey, paler anteriorly; cilia whitish.}}
Distribution
File:Heterocrossa contactella in Tasman.jpg]]
This species is endemic to New Zealand.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nzor.org.nz/names/6db4d672-0b22-46d0-9df2-c9b571ccdf99|title=Heterocrossa contactella (Walker, 1866)|website=www.nzor.org.nz|publisher=Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd|access-date=10 June 2018}}{{Cite Q|Q45922947|page=457}} This species can be found in both the North and South Islands and has been observed in the Auckland region, Whanganui River, Paekākāriki, Wellington, Ōtira River, Ida Valley, Queenstown, Invercargill and Bluff.{{Cite Q|Q105342215}}{{Cite book|title=Hawkdun Ecological District invertebrate survey|last=Patrick|first=Brian|date=1994|publisher=Department of Conservation, New Zealand|isbn=0478015534|location=Wellington, N.Z.|pages=14|oclc=53885579|citeseerx = 10.1.1.227.2484}} Hudson regarded it as uncommon.
Biology and behaviour
Habitat
H. contactella prefers light forest and scrub habitat, especially where Leptospermum shrubs are found.
References
{{Commons}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from1=Q13911174|from2=Q5045882}}
Category:Taxa named by Francis Walker (entomologist)
Category:Endemic fauna of New Zealand