Tingena clarkei is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae.[2] It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North and South Island. This species is on the wing from November until February and inhabits open scrubland or native forest. This species is similar in appearance to Trachypepla photinella.

Tingena clarkei
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Oecophoridae
Genus: Tingena
Species:
T. clarkei
Binomial name
Tingena clarkei
(Philpott, 1928)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Borkhausenia clarkei Philpott, 1928

Taxonomy

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Holotype of T. clarkei.

This species was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1928 using specimens collected by C. E. Clarke in Waikaraka Valley and Kauri Gully, Auckland in January, and named Borkhausenia clarkei.[3] George Hudson discussed this species under the name B. clarkei in his 1939 publication A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[4] In 1988 J. S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Tingena.[2] The male holotype specimen, collected in Kauri Gully, Birkenhead, is held at the Auckland Museum.[2]

Description

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Illustration of T. clarkei by George Hudson.

Philpott described this species as follows:

♂. 15–16 mm. Head and antennae greyish-fuscous, ciliations in ♂ ¾. Palpi fuscous, second segment mixed with white within. Abdomen fuscous-grey. Legs, anterior pair fuscous, middle pair fuscous with tibiae and tarsi banded with whitish, posterior pair fuscous-grey. Forewings moderate, costa well arched, apex rounded, termen rounded, oblique; white, irrorated with dark fuscous; stigmata blackish; plical large, obliquely before first discal, coalescing with dark patch on dorsum; irroration tending to form blotches on costa at base, ⅓, ½ and ⅓; apical blotch sending an obscure line to tornus, where it forms a tornal blotch: fringes whitish-grey mixed with fuscous. Hindwings and fringes fuscous-grey.[3]

This species can be confused with Trachypepla photinella.[4]

Distribution

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View of Kauri Gully, type locality of T. clarkei.

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[1] Other than the type locality of Kauri Gully, this species has been collected near Mangamuka in Northland,[5] and Albany, north of Auckland.[6] This species has also been observed in Otago.[7]

Behaviour and habitat

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This species is on the wing from November until February and inhabits open scrubland or native forest.[6][4]

References

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  1. ^ a b Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 462. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  2. ^ a b c d 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: 100. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  3. ^ a b Alfred Philpott (19 March 1928). "Notes and Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 58: 359–370. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q109524279.
  4. ^ a b c George Vernon Hudson (1939), A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 445, OCLC 9742724, Wikidata Q109420935
  5. ^ "Tingena clarkei". aucklandmuseum.com. 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  6. ^ a b Alan Emmerson; Robert Hoare (28 October 2019). "Lepidoptera from Redvale, Albany, north of Auckland, New Zealand, 2004-2016: an annotated list". The Wētā. 53: 43–70. ISSN 0111-7696. Wikidata Q105342215.
  7. ^ andymilligan (2019-01-02). "Tingena clarkei". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2021-12-21.