Declana egregia explained

Declana egregia, commonly called the South Island lichen moth or zebra lichen moth, is a moth in the family Geometridae, endemic to New Zealand.[1] This species was first described by entomologists Baron Cajetan von Felder and Alois Friedrich Rogenhofer in 1875 under the name Chlenias egregia.[2]

This species resembles the North Island lichen moth but has fewer and coarser wing markings. It is found only in the South Island and Stewart Island.

The caterpillars of Declana egregia feed in summer on Araliaceae species, especially five-finger (Neopanax arboreus), mountain five-finger (N. colensoi), and lancewood (Pseudopanax crassifolius).[3] [4] They are well-camouflaged, resembling a small bird-dropping when young and a Pseudopanax fruit when older. Larger larvae, up to 30mm long, look like lichen-covered twigs and hold themselves stiffly out from the host plant by their prolegs. The moth overwinters as a pupa on the forest floor, in a loosely-spun cocoon encrusted with dirt.

The South Island lichen moth appears on the New Zealand $100 note alongside a mōhua, with a backdrop of Fiordland National Park.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Declana egregia (Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875). www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. 2017-11-05.
  2. Felder . Cajetan . Rogenhofer . Alois Friedrich . 1864–1867 . Reise der österreichischen Fregatte Novara . Reise der österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859 unter den Befehlen des Commodore B. Von W . en . pt.9:Bd.2:Abt.2 (1864-1867) Atlas . cxxxi fig 24 . Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  3. Book: Crowe, Andrew. Which New Zealand Insect?. Penguin. 2002. 0141006366. Auckland. 22.
  4. Book: Early, John. Know Your New Zealand...Native Insects and Spiders. New Holland. 2009. 9781869662530. Auckland. 138–139.