Pome looper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pome looper |
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Pasiphilodes
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P. testulata
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| Pasiphilodes testulata (Guenée, 1857)
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The pome looper (scientific name: Pasiphilodes testulata) is a type of moth. It belongs to the Geometridae family, which are often called "geometer moths" because their caterpillars seem to "measure" the earth as they move. This moth was first officially described by a scientist named Achille Guenée in 1857.
You can find the pome looper moth in several places. It lives in Tasmania and on Norfolk Island. It is also found across New Zealand, including the Chatham Islands and Kermadec Islands.
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About the Pome Looper
The pome looper is a small, winged insect. Like all moths, it starts its life as a caterpillar. These caterpillars are known for their unique way of moving, which looks like they are looping or measuring the ground. This is why they are called "loopers."
What is a Geometer Moth?
The family name, Geometridae, comes from Greek words meaning "earth-measurer." This refers to how their caterpillars move. They have fewer legs in the middle of their body than other caterpillars. To move, they bring their back legs up to meet their front legs, making a loop with their body. Then, they stretch forward again.
Where Pome Loopers Live
Pome loopers are native to the Australasian region. They thrive in places like Tasmania, an island state of Australia, and Norfolk Island, a small island in the Pacific Ocean. They are also common in New Zealand, a country made up of two main islands, and on smaller islands like the Chatham Islands and Kermadec Islands. These locations offer the right climate and plants for the moths to live and reproduce.
Different Types of Pome Loopers
Scientists sometimes divide animal species into smaller groups called subspecies. These groups are slightly different from each other but are still part of the same main species. For the pome looper, there are two known subspecies:
- Pasiphilodes testulata testulata
- Pasiphilodes testulata nobbsi (named by Holloway in 1977)
These subspecies might have small differences in their appearance or where exactly they live.
