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Tingena maranta is a species of moth in the family Oecophoridae.[2] It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the lower South Island. Adults of this species are on the wing from October until January. This species perfers grass or low herb habitat. Unlike its close relatives it does not inhabit native forest.

Tingena maranta
Male holotype
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Oecophoridae
Genus:	Tingena
Species:	T. maranta
Binomial name
Tingena maranta (Meyrick, 1886)[1]
Synonyms[2]
Oecophora maranta Meyrick, 1886 Borkhausenia maranta (Meyrick, 1886)

Taxonomy

This species was originally described by Edward Meyrick in 1886 using a specimen collected by Alfred Philpott in December at Invercargill and named Oecophora maranta.[3] In 1915 Meyrick discussed this species under the name Borkhausenia maranta.[4] In 1926 Alfred Philpott discussed and illustrated the genitalia of the male of this species.[5] In 1928 George Hudson also discussed and illustrated this species in his book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[6] In 1988 J. S. Dugdale placed this species within the genus Tingena.[2] The male holotype is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[2]

Description

Meyrick described this species as follows:

♂. 12 mm. Head, palpi, antennae, thorax, abdomen, and legs whitish-ochreous. Forewings elongate, narrow, costa moderately arched, apex round-pointed, hindmargin extremely obliquely rounded ; pale whitish-ochreous ; extreme base of costa dark fuscous : cilia pale whitish-ochreous. Hindwings grey-whitish ; cilia very pale whitish-ochreous.[3]

This species is pale in colouration and has distinctively narrow forewings.[6]

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in Invercargill, as well as at Dunedin, Mount Ida, Central Otago and Mount Earnshaw.[1][6]

Behaviour

Adults are on the wing from October until January.[6]

Habitat

This species prefers to inhabit areas with grass or low herbs, and does not inhabit native forest.[6]

References

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