''Ichneutica paraxysta'' is a

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 ...

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 ...

. It 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 ...

. This species is very similar in appearance to its close relative '' I. acontistis'' but as the range of the two species do not overlap this is unlikely to cause confusion. ''I. paraxysta'' is only found 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 ...

at the subalpine zones in the Mount Taranaki region and at Mount Ruapehu. It prefers

tussock grassland Tussock grassland is a form of open grassland that is dominated by tussock grasses (also called bunchgrasses). It is common in some temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregions of the Southern Hemisphere. Tussock grasslands are usually ...

and

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It m ...

habitat. The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of its larvae however it has been hypothesised that the larval host plants are species in the genera of ''

Poa ''Poa'' is a genus of about 570 species of grasses, native to the temperate regions of both hemispheres. Common names include meadow-grass (mainly in Europe and Asia), bluegrass (mainly in North America), tussock (some New Zealand species), a ...

'' and '' Festuca.''

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1929 from specimens collected around Waiouru by George Hudson and named ''Leucania paraxysta''. The lectotype 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 ...

. In 1971 John S. Dugdale transferred all the New Zealand species in the genus ''Leucania'' to the genus ''Tmetolophota''. In 1988 J. S. Dugdale, in his catalogue of New Zealand Lepidoptera, confirmed this placement. 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 as a synonym. As a result of this review, this species is now known as ''Ichneutica paraxysta.''

Description

Meyrick described this species as follows: The wingspan of the adult male of the species is between 34 and 38 mm and for the female is between 34 and 38 mm. ''I. paraxysta'' is a pale, medium-sized moth. Its hindwings are slightly darker than its forewings, and veins on the latter are clearly defined. This species is very similar in appearance to '' I. acontistis'', however this is unlikely to be confusion between these species as ''I. acontistis'' is only found in the South Island.

Distribution

Mount Taranaki, New Zealand (05) - Northern Road to the top

''I. paraxysta'' is endemic to New Zealand. It is found in the North Island only, in the Mount Taranaki region and at Mount Ruapehu.

Habitat

This species is found at subalpine altitudes in native

tussock grasslands Tussock grassland is a form of open grassland that is dominated by tussock grasses (also called bunchgrasses). It is common in some temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregions of the Southern Hemisphere. Tussock grasslands are usually ...

and

Behaviour

Adults of this species is on the wing from November to January.

Life history and host species

The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of its larvae. Hoare hypothesised that as a result of its similarity to ''I. acontistis'' the larval host species are likely to be species in the genera ''Poa'' and ''Festuca.''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q104205544 Moths described in 1929 Moths of New Zealand Endemic fauna of New Zealand Hadeninae Taxa named by Edward Meyrick Endemic moths of New Zealand