kids encyclopedia robot

Asaphodes cataphracta facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Asaphodes cataphracta
Asaphodes cataphracta male.jpg
Male
Asaphodes cataphracta female.jpg
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Hexapoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Geometridae
Genus:
Asaphodes
Species:
A. cataphracta
Binomial name
Asaphodes cataphracta
(Meyrick, 1883)
Synonyms
  • Xanthorhoe cataphracta (Meyrick, 1883)
  • Larentia cataphracta Meyrick, 1883

Asaphodes cataphracta is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the South Island.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1883 as Larentia cataphracta. George Hudson further discussed the species in his 1898 volume New Zealand moths and butterflies and referred to it as Xanthorhoe cataphracta.

Description

Hudson described the species as follows:

"The fore-wings are dull yellowish-brown, with numerous slightly waved oblique black and white transverse bands ; one very broad white band is situated near the middle, and another at about three-fourths ; there is a broad longitudinal reddish-brown line on the costal edge, in which the transverse lines almost disappear ; there is also a pale, somewhat triangular, area at the apex. The hind-wings are very pale greyish-ochreous. The cilia of all the wings are very pale ochreous. The female is duller and paler than the male."

Distribution and habitat

A. cataphracta is endemic to New Zealand and can be found in the South Island. Specimens of this species have been collected in the North Canterbury (NC) and Westland (WD) specimen collection localities as described by Crosby et al. The species was collected in February in the Mount Cook district by Alfred Philpott as well as at Arthur's Pass to Lake Wakatipu up to 1200m by Meyrick. Hudson stated the species occurred in abundance in the Humboldt mountains. Specimens were also collected in tussock country near the Homer saddle by George Howes.

The habitat of this species is grassy mountain side slopes.

Images for kids

  • Fig 29 MA I437613 TePapa Plate-XIV-The-butterflies full (cropped)

    Illustration of female A. cataphracta by George Hudson.

  • Asaphodes cataphracta 167368989

    Observation of live A. cataphracta.

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Asaphodes cataphracta Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.