Eudonia_sabulosellus
Eudonia sabulosella
Species of moth endemic to New Zealand
Eudonia sabulosella is a species of moth in the family Crambidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and is regarded as being common. The larvae of this species are known to damage pasture in New Zealand.
| Eudonia sabulosella | |
|---|---|
| Male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Crambidae |
| Genus: | Eudonia |
| Species: | E. sabulosella |
| Binomial name | |
| Eudonia sabulosella | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
This species was originally described by Francis Walker in 1863 using a female specimen collected by Dr. A. Sinclair in Auckland and named Crambus sabulosellus.[2][3] In 1884 Edward Meyrick discussed the species, giving a more detailed description, and placing it within the genus Scoparia while also changing the ending of the species name from the masculine -us to the feminine -a.[4] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 publication The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand, also using the name Scoparia sabulosella.[5] In 1988 John S. Dugdale placed the species in the genus Eudonia.[2]
Walker described the species as follows:
Female. Cinereous fawn-colour. Labial palpi a little longer than the breadth of the head. Abdomen extending a little beyond the hind wings. Fore wings narrow ; discal point and marginal points black ; exterior border almost straight, slightly oblique. Hind wings pale cinereous. Length of the body 4+1⁄2 lines; of the wings 10 lines.[3]
This species is variable, with some specimens being much darker than others. Despite this variation, E. sabulosella can be distinguished from similar species as it always has a pale ochreous ground colour to the forewings, along with two distinct blackish dots.[5]
This species is endemic to New Zealand.[1][6] It is generally distributed throughout New Zealand and can also be found on the Chatham Islands, Stewart Island as well as in the Auckland Islands.[5]
Caterpillar hosts
The larvae of this species feed on lichens, bryophytes and grasses.[7]
Adult diet
The adult moths have been recorded as visiting and likely feeding from the flowers of Corokia cotoneaster, Dracophyllum acerosum, Helichrysum intermedium, Lobelia angulata, Olearia virgata, Pimelea sericeovillosa.[7][8]
Adult pollination
The adult moths pollinate Olearia virgata, Helichrysum selago, Praria angulata, Corokia cotoneaster, Dracophyllum acerosum and Pimelea sericeo-villosa.[9][8]
Adults of E. sabulosella are normally present during December and January.[4]
This species is regarded as being an economically damaging pest.[10] The larvae of E. sabulosella can cause considerable damage to pasture.[11]
- "NZOR Name Details - Eudonia sabulosella (Walker, 1863)". www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- Dugdale, J. S. (1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 14: 158. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- Walker, Francis (1863). "XXVII Crambites and Tortricites". List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum. 27: 1–286 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- Meyrick, Edward (May 1885). "Descriptions of New Zealand Micro-Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 17: 68–120 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- Hudson, G. V. (1928). The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd. p. 198. OCLC 25449322.
- "Eudonia sabulosella (Walker, 1863) - Invertebrate herbivore report". plant-synz.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
- Richard B. Primack (July 1983). "Insect pollination in the New Zealand mountain flora". New Zealand Journal of Botany. 21 (3): 317–333. doi:10.1080/0028825X.1983.10428561. ISSN 0028-825X. Wikidata Q54669862.
- "Eudonia sabulosella (Walker 1863)". EOL.org. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- "AgPest » Sod webworm". Retrieved 2019-07-23.
- Cowley, J. M. (October 1987). "Oviposition site selection and effect of meteorological conditions on flight of Eudonia sabulosella (Lepidoptera: Scopariinae) with implications for pasture damage". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 14 (4): 527–533. doi:10.1080/03014223.1987.10423025. ISSN 0301-4223.