Asterivora albifasciata

Asterivora albifasciata is a species of moth in the family Choreutidae. It is endemic to New Zealand.

Asterivora albifasciata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Choreutidae
Genus:
Asterivora
Species:
A. albifasciata
Binomial name
Asterivora albifasciata
(Philpott, 1924)[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Simaethis albifasciata Philpott, 1924

Taxonomy

This species was described by Alfred Philpott in 1924 and named Simaethis albifasciata.[2][3] The holotype specimen is held at the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.[4]

Description

The wingspan is 11–12 mm. The head and thorax are bronzy-brown densely sprinkled with white. The antennae are bronzy-brown annulated with white. The abdomen is bronzy-brown, although the segmental divisions are white. The legs are pale brown mixed with white. On the forewings, the costa slightly is arched, the apex rounded, the termen straight. They are oblique and bronzy-brown mixed with blackish. There is a patch of white scales at the base above the middle, a broad irregular band of white scales at about half and a small white spot on the costa beyond the middle giving rise to a very irregular line composed of violet and blue metallic scales mixed with white. This line is strongly excurved at the middle and is there preceded by a similar but short line in the disc. There is also a broad white subterminal band of white scales, followed on the median portion by a line of metallic scales. A terminal line of white scales is more or less interrupted at the middle. The hindwings are pale bronzy-brown. Here, there is a straight white fascia running from the termen before tornus directed towards two-thirds of the costa, and reaching half-way across the wing.[2]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[5]

References
  1. "Asterivora albifasciata (Philpott, 1924)". www.NZOR.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  2. Philpott, A. (1924). "Notes and descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 55: 207–214 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  3. Dugdale, J. S. (1979-07-01). "A new generic name for the New Zealand species previously assigned to Simaethis auctorum (Lepidoptera: Choreutidae), with description of a new species". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 6 (3): 461–466. doi:10.1080/03014223.1979.10428386. ISSN 0301-4223.
  4. Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 113. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  5. Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity. Volume two. Kingdom animalia : chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. Christchurch, N.Z.: Canterbury University Press. p. 457. ISBN 9781877257933. OCLC 973607714.


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