Elachista helonoma is a species of moth in the family Elachistidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as "At Risk, Relict'" by the Department of Conservation.
| Elachista helonoma | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Elachistidae |
| Genus: | Elachista |
| Species: | E. helonoma
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| Binomial name | |
| Elachista helonoma (Meyrick, 1889)
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| Synonyms | |
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Taxonomy edit
It was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1889 using specimens collected at the Port Hills in Christchurch and named Elachista helonoma.[1] George Hudson described and illustrated the species under the same name in 1928.[2] John S. Dugdale placed the species within the genus Cosmiotes in 1971 and followed this placement in his annotated catalogue in 1988.[3][4] However, the genus Cosmiotes is now regarded as a synonym of Elachista and as a result, the species name is again Elachista helonoma.[5] The lectotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[4]
Description edit
Meyrick described the adult moth of the species as follows:
♂︎♀︎ 8–10 mm. Head and thorax ochreous-whitish, sprinkled with ochreous. Palpi white. Antennae fuscous. Abdomen grey-whitish, anal tuft ochreous-whitish. Legs dark fuscous, posterior pair ochreous-whitish. Forewings lanceolate ; whitish, more or less irrorated with ochreous, especially on dorsal half ; a slender ochreous-fuscous median longitudinal streak from near base to middle, and a second from above extremity of first to near apex ; a fuscous dot beneath apex of first streak, sometimes obsolete ; inner margin more or less obscurely brownish towards base : cilia grey- whitish. Hind-wings pale grey ; cilia grey-whitish.[1]
Distribution edit
This species is endemic to New Zealand.[6][7] It can be found in Mid Canterbury and the Mackenzie areas.[8]
Life cycle and behaviour edit
The larvae of this species are leaf miners and are very difficult to detect.[9] The adults of the species are on the wing between January and March.[1]
Host plants and habitat edit
Elachista helonoma is found exclusively in short tussock grasslands.[1][9] The likely host of this species is Poa cita.[8]
Conservation status edit
This species has been classified as having the "At Risk, Relict" conservation status under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[10]
References edit
- ^ a b c d Meyrick, Edward (1889). "Descriptions of New Zealand Micro-Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 21: 154–188. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 319.
- ^ Dugdale, J.S. (1971). "Entomology of the Aucklands and other islands south of New Zealand: Lepidoptera, excluding non-crambine Pyralidae" (PDF). Pacific Insects Monograph. 27: 55–172.
- ^ a b Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera-annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 1–264. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-01-27. Retrieved 2018-05-16 – via Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd.
- ^ "Elachista Treitschke, 1833 | Fauna Europaea". fauna-eu.org. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
- ^ "Elachista helonoma (Meyrick, 1889)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 458. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
- ^ a b Patrick, Brian; Dugdale, John S. (2000). Conservation status of the New Zealand lepidoptera (PDF). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Conservation, New Zealand. p. 22. ISBN 0478218672. OCLC 154670803.
- ^ a b Pawson, S.M.; Emberson, R.M. (2000). "The conservation status of invertebrates in Canterbury" (PDF). Conservation Advisory Science Notes. 320: 1–64.
- ^ 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: 7.
