Elachista melanura is a species of moth in the family Elachistidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as "Data Deficient" by the Department of Conservation.
| Elachista melanura | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Holotype specimen | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Elachistidae |
| Genus: | Elachista |
| Species: | E. melanura |
| Binomial name | |
| Elachista melanura | |
Taxonomy
This species was originally described by Edward Meyrick in 1889 using a female specimen collected in Hamilton in January.[3][4] Hudson discussed this species in his 1928 publication The Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand.[5] The holotype is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[4]
Description
Meyrick described the species as follows:
♂. 13mm. Head, palpi, antennæ, and thorax whitish-grey. Abdomen ochreous-whitish, with a dense black apical exsertible tuft. Legs dark fuscous, posterior pair ochreous-whitish. Forewings lanceolate; whitish-grey, somewhat irrorated with darker; an elongate black dot on fold before middle, a second in disc above middle, and a third in disc at ⅔: cilia grey-whitish, with a spot of black scales at base round apex, and tips sprinkled with black. Hindwings and cilia pale whitish-grey.[3]
Distribution
This species is endemic to New Zealand.[2][6] Other than its type locality, this species has also been collected in Titirangi in February 2000.[7][8]
Habitat
The type specimen was collected in heath-like scrub and swamp habitat.[4] It has also been collected in gumland and pakihi (a type of wetland).[7][9]
Conservation status
This species has been classified as having the "Data Deficient" conservation status under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[1]
References
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