Paranotoreas brephosata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Paranotoreas brephosata |
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| Male | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Paranotoreas
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| Species: |
brephosata
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The Paranotoreas brephosata is a type of moth that belongs to the family Geometridae. This family is often called "geometer moths" because their caterpillars seem to "measure" the earth as they move.
This special moth lives only in New Zealand. When an animal or plant lives only in one place, it is called endemic.
About the Paranotoreas Moth
How it Got its Name
This moth was first officially described in 1862 by a scientist named Francis Walker. He gave it the name Fidonia brephosata.
Later, another scientist, George Hudson, wrote about and drew pictures of this moth. He included it in his books, New Zealand Moths and Butterflies (1898) and The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand (1928). He called it Notoreas brephos in his books.
In 1986, Robin C. Craw suggested that this moth should be placed in a different group, called the genus Paranotoreas. This is why its full scientific name is now Paranotoreas brephosata.
Scientists keep a special example of each species. For this moth, the main example specimen, called a lectotype, is kept at the Natural History Museum, London.
What the Moth Looks Like
The Paranotoreas brephosata moth has a wingspan of about 1 inch (2.5 cm). This is how wide it is when its wings are spread out.
Its front wings are a dark grey color. They have wavy black lines near the base. There are also two more black lines that create a wide middle section. Inside this section, there is a small black dot. Beyond this, you might see a wavy band of light grey or brown. There are also faint wavy black lines near the edge of the wing.
The back wings are a bright orange color. They have small grey dots near the body and along the inner edge. You can also see two to four wavy black lines across these orange wings. The outer edge of the back wings has a wide black border.
