Izatha gekkonella
Encyclopedia
Izatha gekkonella is a moth
of the Oecophoridae
family. It is endemic to New Zealand
, where it is only known from the region of the Taieri and Shag River
catchments in eastern Otago
.
The wingspan
is 13.5–15.5 mm for males and 13.5–17 mm for females. Adults have been recorded in October, November and December.
Larvae have been recorded feeding on lichens on rock-faces, making a silken web amongst the lichens.
and refers to the moth’s mottled and scaly appearance under the microscope, as well as its gecko-like fondness for rockfaces. Geckos are common and diverse in the region of the South Island favoured by I. gekkonella.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Oecophoridae
Oecophoridae
Oecophoridae is a family of small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. The phylogeny and systematics of gelechoid moths are still not fully resolved, and the circumscription of the Oecophoridae is strongly affected by this....
family. It is endemic to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, where it is only known from the region of the Taieri and Shag River
Shag River
Shag River is located in Otago in the South Island of New Zealand. It rises in the Kakanui Range, flowing southeast for 50 kilometres before reaching the Pacific Ocean near the town of Palmerston...
catchments in eastern Otago
Otago
Otago is a region of New Zealand in the south of the South Island. The region covers an area of approximately making it the country's second largest region. The population of Otago is...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 13.5–15.5 mm for males and 13.5–17 mm for females. Adults have been recorded in October, November and December.
Larvae have been recorded feeding on lichens on rock-faces, making a silken web amongst the lichens.
Etymology
The name gekkonella means little geckoGecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....
and refers to the moth’s mottled and scaly appearance under the microscope, as well as its gecko-like fondness for rockfaces. Geckos are common and diverse in the region of the South Island favoured by I. gekkonella.