''Kupea'' is a
monotypic moth genus of the family
Crambidae described by
Alfred Philpott
Alfred Philpott (15 December 1870 – 24 July 1930) was a New Zealand museum curator, entomologist and writer. He was born in Tysoe, Warwickshire
Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The ...
in 1930. It contains only one species, ''Kupea electilis'', also known as Kupe's grassmoth, which is
endemic to
New Zealand. It is classified as Nationally Vulnerable by the
Department of Conservation
An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment, ...
. The female of the species was first discovered in 2012.
Taxonomy
''Kupea electilis'' was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1930 using a male specimen collected at
Birdling's Flat, Kaitorete Spit by
Stuart Lindsay in March.
The species was again described and figured by
George Vernon Hudson
George Vernon Hudson FRSNZ (20 April 1867 – 5 April 1946) was a British-born New Zealand entomologist credited with proposing the modern daylight saving time. He was awarded the Hector Memorial Medal in 1923.
Biography
Born in London, Brit ...
in 1939.
David E. Gaskin
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
discussed the species in 1975 stating that once a female specimen was found the systemic position of the genus should be reassessed.
The
type
Type may refer to:
Science and technology Computing
* Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc.
* Data type, collection of values used for computations.
* File type
* TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file.
* Ty ...
specimen is held at the
Canterbury Museum.
Description
The adult male's forewings are brassy ochreous, suffused with grey in the disc. There is a brownish-black mark in the disc, followed by a white bar. The hindwings are brownish.
The male has a limited ability to fly.
The female of the species is
brachypterous.
Distribution
''Kupea electilis'' is endemic to New Zealand.
It has only ever been recorded on sites around Kaitorete Spit, Canterbury.
The female of the species was first discovered in 2012.
Life history
The larvae exist in a cocoon constructed of silk and sand. They feed on dried pieces of their host plant within the cocoon.
Adults are on the wing from mid March to mid April.
The time they are active is unknown as ''K. electilis'' are not attracted to light but it has been hypothesised they are active at twilight.
Habitat and host plant
This species occurs at sand plains, behind foredunes and low hind dunes.
The host of this species is the endemic plant ''
Zoysia minima
''Zoysia'' (;["Zoysia."](_blank)
entry at CollinsDictionary.com. Retrieved 5 September 2021. , -, ...
.''
Conservation status
''Kupea electilis'' is regarded as being "Nationally Vulnerable" under the
New Zealand Threat Classification System
The New Zealand Threat Classification System is used by the Department of Conservation to assess conservation priorities of species in New Zealand.
The system was developed because the IUCN Red List, a similar conservation status system, had some ...
.
The main threats to this species include grazing cattle and introduced pests such as rabbits that eat its host plant,
weed invasion from plants such as
sea spurge
''Euphorbia paralias'', the sea spurge, is a species of flowering plant in the family Euphorbiaceae, native to Europe, northern Africa and western Asia.
The species is widely naturalised in Australia. It invades coastal areas, displacing local ...
,
and the development or use of land by humans.
References
External links
Image of female of the species
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q13378354, from2=Q6445329
Crambinae
Moths of New Zealand
Endemic fauna of New Zealand
Endangered biota of New Zealand
Taxa named by Alfred Philpott
Endemic moths of New Zealand