Carposina maculosa
Encyclopedia
Carposina maculosa is a moth
of the Carposinidae
family. It is endemic to New Zealand
, where it is known from the Lyttelton Hills and Otago.
The wingspan
is about 18 mm. The head, antennae and thorax are light buff and the abdomen is ochreous-white. The forewings are moderate, the costa moderately arched at the base, thence straight, the apex is subacute and the termen straight. They are light buff finely irrorated with pale fuscous and with fuscous-black markings, a dot beneath the costa near the base and a similar one obliquely before it above the dorsum. There is also a minute dot beneath the costa and a much larger one beneath it below the fold. The hindwings and fringes are shining white. The series of distinct dots which form the markings of this species easily separates it from other members of the Carposina genus.
The larvae feed on Hoheria angustifolia and Plagianthus regius
.
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...
of the Carposinidae
Carposinidae
Carposinidae, the "fruitworm moths" is a family of insects in the lepidopteran order. These moths are narrower winged than Copromorphidae, with less rounded forewing tips. Males often have conspicuous patches of scales on either surface...
family. It is endemic to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, where it is known from the Lyttelton Hills and Otago.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is about 18 mm. The head, antennae and thorax are light buff and the abdomen is ochreous-white. The forewings are moderate, the costa moderately arched at the base, thence straight, the apex is subacute and the termen straight. They are light buff finely irrorated with pale fuscous and with fuscous-black markings, a dot beneath the costa near the base and a similar one obliquely before it above the dorsum. There is also a minute dot beneath the costa and a much larger one beneath it below the fold. The hindwings and fringes are shining white. The series of distinct dots which form the markings of this species easily separates it from other members of the Carposina genus.
The larvae feed on Hoheria angustifolia and Plagianthus regius
Plagianthus regius
Plagianthus regius or lowland ribbonwood is a tree that is endemic to New Zealand. The Māori name is Manatu but is also known as Houi, Manaui manatu, Puruhi and Whauwhi...
.