''Ichneutica sapiens'' is a moth of the family

Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because many of the clades are constantly changing, along with the other f ...

. This species is endemic to New Zealand. ''I. sapiens'' is found in the central

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 ...

, in 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 ...

in Westland and also the southern parts of the South Island, and in

Stewart Island Stewart Island ( mi, Rakiura, ' glowing skies', officially Stewart Island / Rakiura) is New Zealand's third-largest island, located south of the South Island, across the Foveaux Strait. It is a roughly triangular island with a total land ar ...

. This species inhabits wetland habitat but its life history is unknown as are the host species of its larvae. The adult moths are on the wing between December and early January and are attracted to sugar traps and to light. ''I. sapiens'' is very similar in appearance to ''I. micrastra'' but is a smaller moth with a shorter wingspan, has differently formed antennae and slightly different forewing markings.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1929 using a male specimen collected by George Hudson at Waiouru in December. Meyrick originally named the species ''Aletia sapiens''. The holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London. In 1988, in his catalogue of New Zealand Lepidoptera,

J. S. Dugdale ''J. The Jewish News of Northern California'', formerly known as ''Jweekly'', is a weekly print newspaper in Northern California, with its online edition updated daily. It is owned and operated by San Francisco Jewish Community Publications In ...

synonymised this species with ''Tmetolophota micrastra'', now known as ''

Ichneutica micrastra ''Ichneutica micrastra'' is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species has been found only in the North Island and has been collected in the Northland, Auckland, Whanganui and Wellington regions. The preferred hab ...

.'' In 2019

Robert Hoare The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

undertook a major review of New Zealand

species. During this review the genus ''Ichneutica'' was greatly expanded and the genus ''Tmetolophota'' was subsumed into that genus and is now regarded as a synonym. As a result of this review, Hoare reinstated this species and it is now known as ''Ichneutica sapiens''.

Description

Meyrick described the species as follows: The male of this species has a wingspan of between 35 and 37 mm and the female has a wingspan of between 38 and 39 mm. ''I. sapiens'' is very similar in appearance to ''I. micrastra'' but can be distinguished as ''I. sapiens'' a smaller moth with a shorter wingspan. There are also differences in the male antennae and both male and female ''I. sapiens'' have a faint dark line on the forewing termen that connects the vein ends.

Distribution

''I. sapiens'' is endemic to New Zealand. It has been found in the

in the Tongariro National Park, in the

in Westland and the southern parts of the

, and in

. The distribution of this species is unusual as the locations it has been found are quite separate. Hoare hypothesised that this may be because these populations are a remnant of a formerly more widely distributed group but also may result from this species being overlooked.

Habitat

This species inhabits wetlands.

Behaviour

The adults of this species are on the wing between December and early January and are attracted to sugar traps and to light.

Life history and host species

The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of its larvae. Hoare hypothesised that a grass or grass like plants are the likely larval host of this species based on the known preferred habitat and the shape of the female ovipositor, the latter possibly an adaption for placing eggs on such plants.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q104199038 Noctuinae Moths of New Zealand Endemic fauna of New Zealand Moths described in 1929 Taxa named by Edward Meyrick Endemic moths of New Zealand