Abantiades latipennis
Encyclopedia
Abantiades latipennis, known as the Pindi moth, is a species of moth
in the Hepialidae
family. It may also be referred to as a swift moth or a ghost moth, as this is a common name associated with Hepialidae. Endemic to Australia and identified in 1932, it is most populous in temperate rainforest where eucalypti
are prevalent, as the larvae feed primarily on the roots of these trees. Females lay eggs during flight in a scattering fashion. The larvae live for over eighteen months underground, while adult moths survive for approximately one week, as they have no mouthparts with which to feed. The moths are preyed upon by a number of predators, including bats and owls. Brown in colour overall, males are paler and the identifying silver bars of the male's wings are more prominent than those of the female's, with dark margins. Male adults are generally smaller.
Established clearfelling practices have been shown to favour the Pindi moth, and could lead to it being considered a pest due to opportunistic proliferation of the species. The resulting damage caused to the trees on which it feeds may be considered significant.
, all of which are found exclusively in Australia. The species was first described in 1932 by Norman Tindale
, an Australian entomologist and anthropologist. Tindale described the species, under its current name, but provided no etymology
for the specific epithet latipennis. He based the species description on specimens from Lorne
(including the holotype
male and allotype
female), Pomonal
and Mount Mistake (in the Langi Ghiran State Park
), Victoria
, and from Zeehan
, Eaglehawk Neck
and Launceston
, Tasmania
.
Being a member of the Hepialiade family, A. latipennis is considered phylogenetically primitive, possessing several features that are indicative of earlier evolutionary development. The jugum on the forewings of the adult is an archaic wing coupling mechanism; further primitive characteristics include, as adults, the lack of mouthparts, large spacing between the fore- and hindwings, and the arrangement of the female genitalia.
, Tasmania
, Victoria
, and Australian Capital Territory
. As with other Abantiades species, the moth's habitat is temperate rainforest, both primary and secondary
. During its larval stage, the moth feeds on the roots of trees, and its prospering is thought to have an economic impact on the timber industry.
on the forest floor and begin tunnelling, in search of suitable host roots. The number of instar
s and the period of the larval stage is yet unknown, with field observations suggesting a larval stage of more than eighteen months.
The phytophagous
larvae of A. latipennis feed primarily on the root systems of two species of tree, Eucalyptus obliqua
(messmate stringybark) and Eucalyptus regnans
(mountain ash). Both of these species are present in old growth forests and dominant in regrowth forests, contributing to the moth's success in its own habitat. Forming simple and vertical tunnels, lined with silk, the caterpillars are subterranean before and during pupa
tion, emerging for their metamorphosis
. The tunnel entrances, 6 to 10 millimetres in diameter, are covered with silk webbing and leaf litter, and can be up to 60 centimetres (2 ft) deep, although depth is more usually 12 to 35 cm.
By chewing the tap
and lateral roots of trees, caterpillars feed on the cambium
growth, produced by the tree at the site of the injury. The larvae may girdle
a root, thereby causing its death, or the lesions may be only partial, allowing the root to continue functioning, albeit with some deformity.
The subterranean habitat of the larvae generally provides protection from predation, but the larvae are sometimes parasitised by tachina flies
. The parasitoid
larvae of the tachinid Rutilotrixa diversa, usually hosted by scarab beetles
, have been discovered infecting A. latipennis.
Adult A. latipennis are crepuscular
and males are strongly attracted to lights, forming leks at dusk, most notably after rains in autumn and late summer. Females use pheromone
s to attract males for mating. As a primitive species, they lack mouthparts
as adults and are therefore unable to feed. Their lifespan as winged creatures is understandably short, lasting approximately a week, barring predation. Predation is commonly by bats, owls, and possums, though several other animals, from spiders to cats, occasionally consume them and contribute to the brief lifespan of the metamorphosed moths.
has on biodiversity in the Weld Valley
of Tasmania, it was found that A. latipennis was one of the few species that thrived in regrowth forests that were previously clearfelled. An earlier study, conducted in other regions of southern Tasmania, examined the relationship between the moth and Eucalyptus regnans and E. obliqua and reached the same conclusion. The tunnelling and feeding habit of A. latipennis larvae on the roots of these two eucalypt species is mostly responsible for its abundance in clearfelled forests, as the trees are the typical regrowth of logged areas. This success may also be due in part to the caterpillar's lack of dependence on decaying vegetation, a characteristic of the Abantiades genus and dissimilar to other Tasmanian genera—such as Eudonia
and Barea
—that have not fared as well in clearfelled forest.
The crowns of the eucalypts infected by A. latipennis have exhibited no consistent indication of root disturbance, with most trees studied appearing healthy and of average size for secondary forest. E. regnans and E. obliqua have demonstrated slow growth in regrowth stands, but this tendency has been attributed to significant root and crown competition. Some trees appeared chlorotic (a yellowing effect in plants, caused by a reduction in chlorophyll
), but this was not a reliable indicator of root infestation, and may be the result of other influences. Well-established clearfelling practices in Tasmania could exacerbate the favouring of this species, and its proliferation could lead to extensive eucalypt damage and pest concerns, though the potential effect of this threat is as yet undetermined.
Lesions on the roots caused by the larval feeding provide ideal sites for the establishment of root rot
-causing fungi, once the larvae depart the root system for pupation. Areas on the roots with past feeding damage were found to have Armillaria sp. flourishing in the lesions. In rarer cases, the pathogen Perenniporia medulla-panis
was also found attacking the roots at the damaged locations. Other cases of decay and discolouration were noted, but attributed to unidentified microorganisms.
Females are larger than males, with the wingspan of the male adult approximately 80 mm (3.1 in). A female specimen collected in 1979 had a wingspan of 108 mm (4.3 in), but Tindale recorded female wingspans at 150 mm (5.9 in) in 1932. The forewings
of both males and females feature silvery-white bars, although the bars of the male moth's wings are more prominent and with dark margins. The female's body colour is usually a darker brown than the male's pale brown, as noted by Tindale, although a grey-brown female was collected in 1979.
Hepialidae have short, pectinate antennae
and, unusually primitive for Lepidoptera, lack a functional proboscis
or retinaculum and are therefore non-feeding. The moths possess several other morphological features that are considered phylogenetically
primitive. The gap between the fore- and hindwing is distinct and the wings are covered in scale-like hairs. At the base of the forewing is a jugum, a small lobe that joins the fore- and hindwings during flight. In females, the configuration of the genitalia is exoporian, typified by an external groove along which spermatophore
s are transferred after mating, from the copulatory opening (the ostium bursae), to the ovipore
for fertilisation.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
in the Hepialidae
Hepialidae
The Hepialidae is a family of insects in the lepidopteran order. Moths of this family are often referred to as swift moths or ghost moths.-Taxonomy and systematics:...
family. It may also be referred to as a swift moth or a ghost moth, as this is a common name associated with Hepialidae. Endemic to Australia and identified in 1932, it is most populous in temperate rainforest where eucalypti
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
are prevalent, as the larvae feed primarily on the roots of these trees. Females lay eggs during flight in a scattering fashion. The larvae live for over eighteen months underground, while adult moths survive for approximately one week, as they have no mouthparts with which to feed. The moths are preyed upon by a number of predators, including bats and owls. Brown in colour overall, males are paler and the identifying silver bars of the male's wings are more prominent than those of the female's, with dark margins. Male adults are generally smaller.
Established clearfelling practices have been shown to favour the Pindi moth, and could lead to it being considered a pest due to opportunistic proliferation of the species. The resulting damage caused to the trees on which it feeds may be considered significant.
Taxonomy and naming
Abantiades latipennis is one of fourteen species currently identified within the genus AbantiadesAbantiades
Abantiades is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 14 described species, all found exclusively in Australia. The group includes some large species with a wingspan of up to 160 mm. The larvae feed on the roots of Eucalyptus and other trees.The Pindi Moth Abantiades is a genus of...
, all of which are found exclusively in Australia. The species was first described in 1932 by Norman Tindale
Norman Tindale
Norman Barnett Tindale was an Australian anthropologist, archaeologist and entomologist. Born in Perth, his family moved to Tokyo from 1907 to 1915, where his father worked as an accountant at the Salvation Army mission in Japan. Soon after returning to Australia, Tindale got a job at the South...
, an Australian entomologist and anthropologist. Tindale described the species, under its current name, but provided no etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
for the specific epithet latipennis. He based the species description on specimens from Lorne
Lorne, Victoria
Lorne is a seaside town on Louttit Bay in Victoria, Australia. It is situated about the Erskine River and is a popular destination on the Great Ocean Road tourist route...
(including the holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
male and allotype
Allotype
Allotype can refer to:* In zoological nomenclature, an allotype is a specimen of the opposite sex to the holotype, designated from among paratypes * In immunology, an immunoglobulin allotype...
female), Pomonal
Pomonal, Victoria
Pomonal is a town in western Victoria, Australia. The town is located in the Rural City of Ararat Local Government Area, north west of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Pomonal had a population of 350.- History :...
and Mount Mistake (in the Langi Ghiran State Park
Langi Ghiran State Park
The Langi Ghiran State Park is 14 km east of Ararat in the state of Victoria, Australia. The park covers an area of 2695 ha.The park can be used for camping, walking and driving. It has steep granite peaks and gentle sloping open woodland sections...
), Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, and from Zeehan
Zeehan, Tasmania
Zeehan is a town on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It lies southwest of Burnie. At the 2006 census, Zeehan had a population of 845. It is part of the Municipality of West Coast....
, Eaglehawk Neck
Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania
Eaglehawk Neck is a narrow isthmus connecting the Tasman Peninsula to mainland Tasmania. At the 2006 census, Eaglehawk Neck had a population of 269....
and Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
.
Being a member of the Hepialiade family, A. latipennis is considered phylogenetically primitive, possessing several features that are indicative of earlier evolutionary development. The jugum on the forewings of the adult is an archaic wing coupling mechanism; further primitive characteristics include, as adults, the lack of mouthparts, large spacing between the fore- and hindwings, and the arrangement of the female genitalia.
Distribution and habitat
A. latipennis is endemic to the Australasian region. More specifically, the moths inhabit New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, and Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
. As with other Abantiades species, the moth's habitat is temperate rainforest, both primary and secondary
Secondary forest
A secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
. During its larval stage, the moth feeds on the roots of trees, and its prospering is thought to have an economic impact on the timber industry.
Life cycle and behaviour
Female moths "lay" their eggs by scattering them during flight; up to 10,000 eggs are released at once. Larvae then hatch from the eggs in the leaf litterPlant litter
Plant litter, leaf litter or tree litter is dead plant material, such as leaves, bark, needles, and twigs, that has fallen to the ground. Litter provides habitat for small animals, fungi, and plants, and the material may be used to construct nests. As litter decomposes, nutrients are released to...
on the forest floor and begin tunnelling, in search of suitable host roots. The number of instar
Instar
An instar is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each molt , until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or assume a new form. Differences between instars can often be seen in altered body proportions, colors, patterns, or...
s and the period of the larval stage is yet unknown, with field observations suggesting a larval stage of more than eighteen months.
The phytophagous
Herbivore
Herbivores are organisms that are anatomically and physiologically adapted to eat plant-based foods. Herbivory is a form of consumption in which an organism principally eats autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. More generally, organisms that feed on autotrophs in...
larvae of A. latipennis feed primarily on the root systems of two species of tree, Eucalyptus obliqua
Eucalyptus obliqua
Eucalyptus obliqua, commonly known as Australian Oak, Brown Top, Brown Top Stringbark, Messmate, Messmate Stringybark, Stringybark and Tasmanian Oak, is a hardwood tree native to south-eastern Australia....
(messmate stringybark) and Eucalyptus regnans
Eucalyptus regnans
Eucalyptus regnans, known variously by the common names Mountain Ash, Victorian Ash, Swamp Gum, Tasmanian Oak or Stringy Gum, is a species of Eucalyptus native to southeastern Australia, in Tasmania and Victoria...
(mountain ash). Both of these species are present in old growth forests and dominant in regrowth forests, contributing to the moth's success in its own habitat. Forming simple and vertical tunnels, lined with silk, the caterpillars are subterranean before and during pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
tion, emerging for their metamorphosis
Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation...
. The tunnel entrances, 6 to 10 millimetres in diameter, are covered with silk webbing and leaf litter, and can be up to 60 centimetres (2 ft) deep, although depth is more usually 12 to 35 cm.
By chewing the tap
Taproot
A taproot is an enlarged, somewhat straight to tapering plant root that grows vertically downward. It forms a center from which other roots sprout laterally.Plants with taproots are difficult to transplant...
and lateral roots of trees, caterpillars feed on the cambium
Vascular cambium
The vascular cambium is a part of the morphology of plants. It consists of cells that are partly specialized, for the tissues that transport water solutions, but have not reached any of the final forms that occur in their branch of the specialization graph...
growth, produced by the tree at the site of the injury. The larvae may girdle
Girdling
Girdling, also called ring barking or ring-barking, is the complete removal of a strip of bark from around the entire circumference of either a branch or trunk of a woody plant. Girdling results in the death of wood tissues beyond the damage...
a root, thereby causing its death, or the lesions may be only partial, allowing the root to continue functioning, albeit with some deformity.
The subterranean habitat of the larvae generally provides protection from predation, but the larvae are sometimes parasitised by tachina flies
Tachinidae
Tachinidae is a large and rather variable family of true flies within the insect order Diptera, with more than 8,200 known species and many more to be discovered. There are over 1300 species in North America. Insects in this family are commonly called tachina flies or simply tachinids...
. The parasitoid
Parasitoid
A parasitoid is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life history attached to or within a single host organism in a relationship that is in essence parasitic; unlike a true parasite, however, it ultimately sterilises or kills, and sometimes consumes, the host...
larvae of the tachinid Rutilotrixa diversa, usually hosted by scarab beetles
Scarabaeidae
The family Scarabaeidae as currently defined consists of over 30,000 species of beetles worldwide. The species in this large family are often called scarabs or scarab beetles. The classification of this family is fairly unstable, with numerous competing theories, and new proposals appearing quite...
, have been discovered infecting A. latipennis.
Adult A. latipennis are crepuscular
Crepuscular
Crepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight, that is during dawn and dusk. The word is derived from the Latin word crepusculum, meaning "twilight." Crepuscular is, thus, in contrast with diurnal and nocturnal behavior. Crepuscular animals may also be active on a bright...
and males are strongly attracted to lights, forming leks at dusk, most notably after rains in autumn and late summer. Females use pheromone
Pheromone
A pheromone is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting outside the body of the secreting individual to impact the behavior of the receiving individual...
s to attract males for mating. As a primitive species, they lack mouthparts
Insect mouthparts
Insects exhibit a range of mouthparts, adapted to particular modes of feeding. The earliest insects had chewing mouthparts...
as adults and are therefore unable to feed. Their lifespan as winged creatures is understandably short, lasting approximately a week, barring predation. Predation is commonly by bats, owls, and possums, though several other animals, from spiders to cats, occasionally consume them and contribute to the brief lifespan of the metamorphosed moths.
Ecology
As part of a study measuring the impact that the practice of clearfellingClearcutting
Clearcutting, or clearfelling, is a controversial forestry/logging practice in which most or all trees in an area are uniformly cut down. Clearcutting, along with shelterwood and seed tree harvests, is used by foresters to create certain types of forest ecosystems and to promote select species that...
has on biodiversity in the Weld Valley
Weld Valley
The Weld Valley, located in southern Tasmania, is an area of aboriginal cultural heritage and unique natural history within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.It stretches north-west of Huonville and is approximetely west of Hobart...
of Tasmania, it was found that A. latipennis was one of the few species that thrived in regrowth forests that were previously clearfelled. An earlier study, conducted in other regions of southern Tasmania, examined the relationship between the moth and Eucalyptus regnans and E. obliqua and reached the same conclusion. The tunnelling and feeding habit of A. latipennis larvae on the roots of these two eucalypt species is mostly responsible for its abundance in clearfelled forests, as the trees are the typical regrowth of logged areas. This success may also be due in part to the caterpillar's lack of dependence on decaying vegetation, a characteristic of the Abantiades genus and dissimilar to other Tasmanian genera—such as Eudonia
Eudonia
Eudonia is a large and widespread genus in the grass moth family , subfamily Scopariinae. There is no common name for the roughly 250 species placed here; new species are still being described regularly...
and Barea
Barea (genus)
Barea is a genus of moths of the family Oecophoridae.There are several described species, all found in Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand.- Species :Species of Barea include:*Barea acalles *Barea acritopis...
—that have not fared as well in clearfelled forest.
The crowns of the eucalypts infected by A. latipennis have exhibited no consistent indication of root disturbance, with most trees studied appearing healthy and of average size for secondary forest. E. regnans and E. obliqua have demonstrated slow growth in regrowth stands, but this tendency has been attributed to significant root and crown competition. Some trees appeared chlorotic (a yellowing effect in plants, caused by a reduction in chlorophyll
Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in almost all plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Its name is derived from the Greek words χλωρος, chloros and φύλλον, phyllon . Chlorophyll is an extremely important biomolecule, critical in photosynthesis, which allows plants to obtain energy from light...
), but this was not a reliable indicator of root infestation, and may be the result of other influences. Well-established clearfelling practices in Tasmania could exacerbate the favouring of this species, and its proliferation could lead to extensive eucalypt damage and pest concerns, though the potential effect of this threat is as yet undetermined.
Lesions on the roots caused by the larval feeding provide ideal sites for the establishment of root rot
Root rot
Root rot is a condition found in both indoor and outdoor plants, although more common in indoor plants with poor drainage. As the name states, the roots of the plant rot. Usually, this is a result of overwatering. In houseplants, it is a very common problem, and is slightly less common in outdoor...
-causing fungi, once the larvae depart the root system for pupation. Areas on the roots with past feeding damage were found to have Armillaria sp. flourishing in the lesions. In rarer cases, the pathogen Perenniporia medulla-panis
Perenniporia medulla-panis
Perenniporia medulla-panis is a plant pathogen.-References:* *...
was also found attacking the roots at the damaged locations. Other cases of decay and discolouration were noted, but attributed to unidentified microorganisms.
Morphology and identification
A. latipennis larvae vary in size and colour during growth, but can be grouped small and large. The small caterpillars are generally 12 millimetre (0.47244094488189 in) long and an overall milky grey, with a light brown head capsule that is about 3 mm (0.118110236220472 in) wide. Large caterpillars may be milky grey or a dark green-brown, 60 to 90 mm (2.4 to 3.5 in) long, with a 6 to 9 mm (0.236220472440945 to 0.354330708661417 in) wide brown head capsule.Females are larger than males, with the wingspan of the male adult approximately 80 mm (3.1 in). A female specimen collected in 1979 had a wingspan of 108 mm (4.3 in), but Tindale recorded female wingspans at 150 mm (5.9 in) in 1932. The forewings
Insect wing
Insects are the only group of invertebrates known to have evolved flight. Insects possess some remarkable flight characteristics and abilities, still far superior to attempts by humans to replicate their capabilities. Even our understanding of the aerodynamics of flexible, flapping wings and how...
of both males and females feature silvery-white bars, although the bars of the male moth's wings are more prominent and with dark margins. The female's body colour is usually a darker brown than the male's pale brown, as noted by Tindale, although a grey-brown female was collected in 1979.
Hepialidae have short, pectinate antennae
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
and, unusually primitive for Lepidoptera, lack a functional proboscis
Proboscis
A proboscis is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In simpler terms, a proboscis is the straw-like mouth found in several varieties of species.-Etymology:...
or retinaculum and are therefore non-feeding. The moths possess several other morphological features that are considered phylogenetically
Phylogenetics
In biology, phylogenetics is the study of evolutionary relatedness among groups of organisms , which is discovered through molecular sequencing data and morphological data matrices...
primitive. The gap between the fore- and hindwing is distinct and the wings are covered in scale-like hairs. At the base of the forewing is a jugum, a small lobe that joins the fore- and hindwings during flight. In females, the configuration of the genitalia is exoporian, typified by an external groove along which spermatophore
Spermatophore
A spermatophore or sperm ampulla is a capsule or mass created by males of various animal species, containing spermatozoa and transferred in entirety to the female's ovipore during copulation...
s are transferred after mating, from the copulatory opening (the ostium bursae), to the ovipore
Ovipore
An ovipore is a pore-like sexual organ of a female insect that gets inseminated by the spermatophores ejected by the aedeagus of a male insect during copulation. The spermatophores that pass through the ovipore are stored in most insect species in another organ called spermatheca....
for fertilisation.