Macarostola miniella explained

Macarostola miniella is a species of moth in the family Gracillariidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species is only found in the North Island and the adult moths have two different colour variations.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Baron Cajetan von Felder, Rudolf Felder and Alois Friedrich Rogenhofer in 1875 under the name Stathmopoda miniella.^[1] Edward Meyrick, thinking he was describing a new species, named it Gracilaria ethela in 1880.^[2] Meyrick synonymised this name with S. miniella in 1889.^[3] John S. Dugdale assigned this species to the genus Macraostola in 1988.^[4] The lectotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.

Description

Meyrick described the species as follows:

The adult moths of this species come in two colour variations. The more common variation is the crimson and yellow form. The other variation has more dull fuscous colouration replacing the crimson.

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.^[5] M. miniella is common and found throughout the North Island.

Behaviour and life history

The larvae of M. miniella are leaf miners that later in their development also roll the leaves of their host plant, both to feed from and then to pupate in.^[6]

Habitat and host plant

This species is found in native forest habitat. The larvae are leaf miners on Syzygium maire, a tree species also endemic to New Zealand.^[7]

Notes and References

1. 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. Plate CXL fig 42. Biodiversity Heritage Library.
2. Meyrick. Edward. 1880. Descriptions of Australian Micro-Lepidoptera. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 5. 132–182. 10.5962/bhl.part.15874. Biodiversity Heritage Library. 2027/uc2.ark:/13960/t0js9jt3x. free.
3. Meyrick. Edward. 1889. Descriptions of New Zealand Micro-Lepidoptera. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 21. 154–188. Biodiversity Heritage Library.
4. Book: Dugdale. J. S.. 1988. Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa. Fauna of New Zealand. 14. 1–269. 22 July 2018. 978-0477025188.
5. Web site: Macarostola miniella (Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875). www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. 2018-01-15.
6. free.
7. Book: Hoare, Robert J. B.. A photographic guide to moths & butterflies of New Zealand. New Holland Publishers (NZ) Ltd.. Ball, Olivier.. 2014. 9781869663995. Auckland. 23. 891672034.