Pasiphila semochlora
| Pasiphila semochlora | |
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| Male | |
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| Female | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Geometridae |
| Genus: | Pasiphila |
| Species: | P. semochlora
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| Binomial name | |
| Pasiphila semochlora | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Pasiphila semochlora is a moth of the family Geometridae.[1] This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1919. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the subalpine zone of Mount Taranaki.
Taxonomy
[edit]This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1919 and originally named Chloroclystis semochlora.[3] In 1928 George Hudson illustrated and discussed this species under that name in his book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[4] In 1971 John S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Pasiphila.[5] The male lectotype, collected by Hudson at Mount Taranaki, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[2]
Description
[edit]Meyrick described the adults of the species as follows:
♂♀. 26-28 mm. Head, thorax, and abdomen green, patagia tipped with grey hairs beyond a black bar. Palpi 2, green, tip whitish. Antennal ciliations fasciculated (3+1⁄2). Forewings broad-triangular, termen hardly waved, rounded, rather oblique ; green ; basal, second, and third fasciae deeper olive-green, especially third, somewhat curved, waved, slightly marked with black on edges, third preceded and followed by slight whitish suffusion in disc ; fourth fascia composed of three waved slightly curved somewhat darker lines, edged posteriorly above middle by a curved black line edged with white posteriorly and followed by a roundish grey spot becoming whitish anteriorly ; fifth fascia indicated by small black marks between this spot and costa, elsewhere by faint traces of whitish lines and some black marks on veins ; subterminal line pale bluish-green, waved-dentate ; a fine black interrupted terminal line : cilia pale-greyish, towards base triangularly barred with darker grey. Hindwings with termen rather unevenly rounded ; grey-whitish, on dorsal half with more or less marked grey waved transverse lines, two of these towards tornus suffusedly blackish on dorsal area ; a grey terminal fascia enclosing a waved-dentate whitish line ; lower half of termen sometimes suffused with light green ; a fine interrupted blackish terminal line : cilia pale grey, with indications of darker bars.[3]
Distribution
[edit]
This species is endemic to New Zealand.[1] It has only been found in the subalpine zone of Mount Taranaki.[6]
Behaviour
[edit]The adults of this species is on the wing in February.[4]
References
[edit]
- ^ a b c "Pasiphila semochlora (Meyrick, 1919)". NZOR. 2025. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
- ^ a b Dugdale , J. S. (23 September 1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. 14. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research: 189. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
- ^ a b Edward Meyrick (1919). "Descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 51: 349–350. ISSN 1176-6158. Wikidata Q110189623. BHL page 3299334
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b Hudson, G. V. (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 92, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286BHL page 61899703 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Dugdale, J. S. (10 November 1971). "Entomology of the Aucklands and other islands south of New Zealand: Lepidoptera, excluding non-crambine Pyralidae". Pacific Insects Monographs. 27: 106. ISSN 0078-7515. Wikidata Q64006453.
- ^ K. J. Fox (January 1982). "Entomology of the Egmont National Park". New Zealand Entomologist. 7 (3): 288. doi:10.1080/00779962.1982.9722400. ISSN 0077-9962. Wikidata Q105740159.
