Gingidiobora nebulosa

Gingidiobora nebulosa, the gingidium looper moth, is a moth in the family Crambidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species has been classified as Nationally Vulnerable by the Department of Conservation.

Gingidiobora nebulosa
Female

Nationally Vulnerable (NZ TCS)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Geometridae
Genus: Gingidiobora
Species:
G. nebulosa
Binomial name
Gingidiobora nebulosa
(Philpott, 1917)[2]
Synonyms
  • Xanthorhoe nebulosa Philpott, 1917

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1917 and named Xanthorhoe nebulosa.[3] Philpott used specimens collected in February and March at The Bluff, Clarence River and at Coverham, Marlborough by Dr. J. A. Thomson and Hugh Hamilton.[4] George Vernon Hudson described and illustrated the species in 1928.[5] In 1987 Robin C. Craw placed this species within the genus Gingidiobora.[6] The type specimen is held at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.[3]

Description

The larvae are green and smooth.[6]

Philpott described the adults of the species as follows:

♂︎♀︎. 34 mm. Head, thorax, and abdomen whitish-ochreous finely sprinkled with fuscous. Antennae in ♂︎ with rather short pectinations. Forewings triangular, costa strongly arched, sinuate at middle, apex moderately sharp, termen subsinuate, oblique ; ochreous-grey-whitish ; termen broadly margined with greyish-fuscous ; costal edge very narrowly fuscous; a thin curved brown line near base ; first line (anterior edge of median band) irregularly subdentate, curved, brown, from ​1⁄3 costa to ​1⁄3 dorsum ; second line (posterior edge of median band) irregular, slight triple projection at middle, excurved beneath, from ​2⁄3 costa to ​3⁄4 dorsum, brown ; an obscure waved pale subterminal line : cilia greyish-ochreous. Hindwings ochreous-grey-whitish ; a median fascia and a broad terminal band greyish-fuscous : cilia greyish-ochreous.[4]

Distribution

G. nebulosa is endemic to New Zealand.[2][7] As well as its type locality of Coverham and The Bluff, Clarence River, this species has been found at the Tone River bed and at Ka Whata Tu o Rakihouia Conservation Park in Marlborough. It is also present at Macraes Ponds in Waitaki,[8] and in Otago.[9]

Biology and life cycle

The larvae feed at night.[6] The species is most commonly seen in March.[5]

Host plant

The larvae of G. nebulosa feed on mountain carrot, Gingidia montana.[6][10] This plant suffers from browse reduction which in turn affects the moth population.[11]

Conservation status

This species has the "Nationally Vulnerable" conservation status under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[1]

References
  1. Hoare, R.J.B.; Dugdale, J.S.; Edwards, E.D.; Gibbs, G.W.; Patrick, B.H.; Hitchmough, R.A.; Rolfe, J.R. (2017). "Conservation status of New Zealand butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera), 2015" (PDF). New Zealand Threat Classification Series. 20: 6.
  2. "Gingidiobora nebulosa (Philpott, 1917)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  3. Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 180. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  4. Philpott, Alfred (1917). "Descriptions of new species of Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 49: 239–245 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  5. Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 115.
  6. Craw, R. C. (1987). "Revision of the genus Helastia sensu stricto with description of a new genus (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Larentiinae)". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 14 (2): 269–293. doi:10.1080/03014223.1987.10422997.
  7. 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.
  8. "Waitaki District Plan, Appendix C" (PDF). www.waitaki.govt.nz. 13 June 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  9. Crown Pastoral Land Tenure Review: Middlehurst. Conservation Resources Report - Part 2 (PDF) (Report). Land Information New Zealand. 2010. pp. 1–57. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  10. Patrick, Brian; Dugdale, John S. (2000). Conservation status of the New Zealand lepidoptera (PDF). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Conservation, New Zealand. p. 23. ISBN 978-0478218671. OCLC 154670803. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-05-01. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  11. "New Threatened Species List Announced Today | Scoop News". www.scoop.co.nz. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
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