Dioxycanus oreas explained

Dioxycanus oreas is a species of moth of the family Hepialidae.^[1] It is endemic to New Zealand.^[2] It was first described by George Vernon Hudson in 1920.^[3] The species was discovered by Averil Lysaght.

The wingspan is 32–40 mm for males and 42–50 mm for females. Adults are on wing from November to January.^[4]

Distribution

In the North Island populations have been recorded on Mount Taranaki and in the Tararua Range. In the South Island populations have been observed in the Nelson, North Canterbury, Mid Canterbury and South Canterbury regions.

Description

Dioxycanus oreas has moderate mandibles.^[5]

Life cycle

Adult life spans are brief. Field observations conducted in 1973 recorded some adults living as long as 23 days but given the diverse range of predators most adults probably live no longer than a week.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Dioxycanus oreas (Hudson, 1920). www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. 2017-09-27.
2. Nielsen . Ebbe S. . Robinson . Gaden S. . Wagner . David L. . 2000 . Ghost-moths of the world: a global inventory and bibliography of the Exoporia (Mnesarchaeoidea and Hepialoidea) (Lepidoptera). Journal of Natural History . 34 . 6 . 823–878 . 10.1080/002229300299282 . 86004391 .
3. Hudson. George Vernon. 1920. Descriptions of two new species of Hepialidae from New Zealand.. The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine. en. 56. 277. 0013-8908. Biodiversity Heritage Library.
4. Dugdale. J. S.. 1994. Hepialidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera). Fauna of New Zealand. 30. 55. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd.
5. Brown . B. . Dugdale . J. S. . Emberson . R. M. . Paterson . A. M. . 21 December 2001 . Phylogeny of New Zealand hepialid moths (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae) inferred from a cladistic analysis of morphological data . Systematic Entomology . en . 25 . 1 . 1–14 . 10.1046/j.1365-3113.2000.00089.x . 0307-6970.