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Scythris niphozela is a species of moth in the family Scythrididae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as "At Risk, Naturally Uncommon" by the Department of Conservation.

Scythris niphozela
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Scythrididae
Genus:	Scythris
Species:	S. niphozela
Binomial name
Scythris niphozela Meyrick, 1931[1]

Taxonomy

This species was originally described by Edward Meyrick in 1931 using specimens collected by Stewart Lindsay at Birding's Flat in December.[2][3] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1939 publication A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[4] The holotype specimen is held at the Canterbury Museum.[3]

Description

Meyrick described the species as follows:

♂︎♀︎. 9-10mm - Head, palpi, thorax dark grey, more or less mixed or suffused white. Abdomen iridescent whitish grey, ♂︎ anal tuft tinged ochreous, ♀︎ basal third suffused blackish above, apex blackish beneath. Forewings elongate-lanceolate ; dark grey posteriorly or nearly wholly suffused white ; an irregular fascia of blackish suffusion from dorsum before middle ; not reaching costa ; a slightly narrower suffused blackish fascia from tornus, hardly reaching above middle ; in whiter examples both these may be connected with costa by irregular grey marks ; cilia grey, round apex, more or less suffused white. Hindwings 4 or 5 coincident ; bronze-grey-whitish, apex greyer ; in ♀︎ a thick streak of black suffusion along dorsum from near base to near middle ; cilia light ochreous-grey.[2]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[5][1] Other than the type locality of Birdings Flat at Kaitorete Spit,[2] this species has been recorded as being found at Long Valley Ridge in the Manorburn Ecological District, Central Otago in February.[6][7] However S. niphozela is regarded as being endemic to the Kaitorete Spit area.[8]

Biology and life history

This species is on the wing in October to December.[4][8]

Host species and habitat

Larvae of this species has been found on Carmichaelia appressa, an endemic species of plant at the Kaitorete Spit.[8] The moth inhabits the foredune area of this land formation and is regarded as being endemic to the gravel barrier present there.[8][9]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Scythris niphozela.

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