Lathicrossa prophetica

Lathicrossa prophetica is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as "Data Deficient" by the Department of Conservation.

Lathicrossa prophetica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Oecophoridae
Genus:
Lathicrossa
Species:
L. prophetica
Binomial name
Lathicrossa prophetica
Meyrick, 1927

Taxonomy

This species was described by Edward Meyrick in 1927 using a specimen collected by Selwyn Woodward at Mount Arthur in the Nelson district in January.[1][2] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 publication The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[3] The holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[2]

Description

Meyrick described the species as follows:

♀ 16 mm. Head whitish with a few blackish scales. Palpi whitish sprinkled blackish, terminal joint with broad blackish band. Thorax pale pink mixed dark grey. Forewings somewhat dilated, apex obtuse-pointed, termen faintly sinuate, oblique; light rose-pink suffusedly mixed dark grey; a small black spot on base of costa, and one just beyond and beneath it; stigmata forming small black spots, plical obliquely beyond first discal and rather smaller, each of these followed by a white dot, second discal subquadrate; the pink groundcolour forms small distinct spots on costa at middle and ¾ between patches of dark suffusion: cilia grey mixed pinky-whitish, base rose-pink. Hindwings grey finely irrorated blackish-grey; cilia grey, basal third blackish-grey.[1]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[4] Other than the type locality, it has been collected at Karori in Wellington, Lake Rotoroa and at Karamea Bluffs on the West Coast.[5]

Biology and behaviour

This species is on the wing in January.[1]

Habitat

The holotype specimen was collected at approximately 1050m above sea-level.[3] This species frequents sub-alpine forest.[3]

Conservation status

This species has been classified as having the "Data Deficient" conservation status under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[6]

References
  1. Meyrick, E. (1927). "Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 57: 697–702. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  2. Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 131. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  3. Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 293. OCLC 25449322.
  4. "Lathicrossa prophetica Meyrick, 1927". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 2018-06-02.
  5. "NZTCS Lepidoptera Spreadsheet". www.doc.govt.nz. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  6. 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: 5.


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