Archyala culta is a species of moth in the family Tineidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as "Data Deficient" by the Department of Conservation. This species has only been collected at Opoho and is only known from its type specimen.

Archyala culta
Male holotype specimen

Data Deficient (NZ TCS)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Tineidae
Genus: Archyala
Species:
A. culta
Binomial name
Archyala culta
Philpott, 1931

Taxonomy

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This species was described by Alfred Philpott in 1931 from a specimen collected by Charles E. Clarke at Opoho, Dunedin on the 17 December 1921.[2][3][4] In 1939 George Hudson discussed and illustrated the species.[5] The holotype specimen is held at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.[3]

Description

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Illustration of male.

Philpott described the species as follows:

♂. 15 mm. Head and palpi greyish brown. Antennae grey annulated with fuscous. Thorax brown. Abdomen greyish brown. Legs greyish ochreous, tarsi annulated with fuscous. Forewings elongate, costa sinuate before middle, apex round-pointed termen straight, oblique; light grey: numerous fine curved transverse dark fuscous strigulae from base to apex; a very dark obscure fuscous linear marking in disc: fringes grey mixed with fuscous; base pale and a sub-basal blackish fuscous line. Hindwings purplish fuscous, darker apically: fringes dark greyish fuscous with darker basal line.[2]

Hudson stated that this species could be distinguished by the peculiar outline of the costa of fore-wings, and absence of any tendency for the strigulae to coalesce in pairs.[5]

Distribution

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This species is endemic to New Zealand.[6][7] This species is only known from its type specimen and at its type locality of Opoho.[8]

Life history

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It has been hypothesised that larvae of this species inhabits dead wood, boring into it and feeding on it.[8]

Conservation status

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This species has been classified as having the "Data Deficient" conservation status under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b 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: 8.
  2. ^ a b Philpott, Alfred (1931). "Notes and descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 62: 26–36. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  3. ^ a b John Stewart Dugdale (23 September 1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. 14. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research: 59. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  4. ^ "Archyala culta". Auckland War Memorial Museum. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  5. ^ a b George Vernon Hudson (1939), A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 464, OCLC 9742724, Wikidata Q109420935  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. ^ "Archyala culta Philpott, 1931". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  7. ^ Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 463. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  8. ^ a b Patrick, B. H.; Dugdale, J. S. (2000). "Conservation status of the New Zealand Lepidoptera" (PDF). Science for Conservation. 136. Department of Conservation, New Zealand: 19. ISSN 1173-2946. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-05-01. Retrieved 2018-05-30.