''Clepsicosma'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

s in the family

Crambidae The Crambidae are the grass moth family of lepidopterans. They are variable in appearance, the nominal subfamily Crambinae (grass moths) taking up closely folded postures on grass stems where they are inconspicuous, while other subfamilies includ ...

. As at 2022, this genus contains only one described species, ''Clepsicosma iridia'', which is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. The species inhabits native forest in the

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

as well as the northern and western parts of the

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

down to

Westland Westland or Westlands may refer to: Places *Westlands, an affluent neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi, Kenya * Westlands, Staffordshire, a suburban area and ward in Newcastle-under-Lyme *Westland, a peninsula of the Shetland Mainland near Vaila, ...

. The larval host of this species is assumed to be species of

Cutty grass Cutty grass is a common name for several grasses with sharp leaves which may inflict cuts: *''Austroderia'' *' *''Cyperus ustulatus'', native to New Zealand *''Ficinia spiralis'' *''Gahnia grandis'' (syn. ''Cladium psittacorum'') *''Gahnia setifola ...

, possibly including '' Gahnia setifolia'' and '' Gahnia xanthocarpa'', although the life history of this species is unknown. The adults of ''C. iridia'' are on the wing from December until May. They are nocturnal, and are attracted to light. During the day the adults rest on the underside of leaves, including those Cutty grass species that may possibly be their larval hosts.

Taxonomy

Fig 22 MA I437623 TePapa Plate-XXIV-The-butterflies full (cropped)

The genus and species were described by

Edward Meyrick Edward Meyrick (25 November 1854, in Ramsbury – 31 March 1938, at Thornhanger, Marlborough) was an English schoolmaster and amateur entomologist. He was an expert on microlepidoptera and some consider him one of the founders of modern micr ...

in 1888 using one female specimen collected in December in the

Waitākere Ranges The Waitākere Ranges is a mountain range in New Zealand. Located in West Auckland between metropolitan Auckland and the Tasman Sea, the ranges and its foothills and coasts comprise some of public and private land. The area, traditionally kno ...

in the Auckland District. George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book ''The butterflies and moths of New Zealand''. The female

holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several ...

specimen is held at the

Natural History Museum, London The Natural History Museum in London is a museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum an ...

. The epithet ''iridia'' derives from the Roman goddess of rainbows, Iris. The name refers to the wavy line of iridescent scales on the forewing of this species. As at 2022 there exists an undescribed ''Clepiscosma'' species that has been collected at Whakaruangangana and Ngawha as well as at coastal localites in Northland and in Auckland.

Description

Meyrick described the genus as follows: Hudson described the species as follows:

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. It has been observed in the

and in the northern and western parts of the

down to

. This species is regarded as being common.

Habitat and hosts

''C. iridia'' inhabits native forest. The larval host of this species is assumed to be species of

but as at 2014 this moth has not been reared in captivity to confirm this assumption. Hudson stated that the species was common amongst '' Gahnia setifolia''. Hoare noted that this species is also associated with '' Gahnia xanthocarpa''.

Behaviour

The adult moths can be observed from late December until May. They are nocturnal and are attracted to light. During daylight hours they rest on the underside of leaves and have been found hiding amongst ''G. setifolia'' leaves near the ground.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5131787 Acentropinae Taxa named by Edward Meyrick Monotypic moth genera Moths of New Zealand Endemic fauna of New Zealand Crambidae genera Endemic moths of New Zealand