Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Description
Yen et al. (1996) describe the life history of A.
martini under the name A. funeralis (Butler) in
Taiwan, but little is known of the moth’s biology
and life history in New Zealand.
34 Adults
Male and female moths are up to 10.5mm in
length, and similar in general appearance (Fig. 1),
the female being slightly larger than the male, with
shorter pectination on the antennae. The antennae,
head, legs, and abdomen are black with a blue
sheen. The wings are black, and the forewings have
a grey fringe. The central part of the hind-wing is
transparent. Adult A. martini can be distinguished
from a superficially similar arctiid Antichloris viridis
Druce by the absence of a vivid white ventral
abdominal base (J. Dugdale, pers. comm.) .
Larvae
First instar larvae are very pale and cluster
together on the under-sides of leaves. The later
instars are bright yellow with four black verrucae
on each segment, and are very conspicuous on the Figs 1, 2 Artona martini. 1, adult female; 2,larva.
green foliage of the bamboo.The verrucae, in addi-
tion to the short black setae, contain several long
white setae. The anterior and posterior segments tion in Whangarei in March 1996.The spread of the
are a brighter yellow than the other segments which moth within two years from its original site to four
have a greyish hue (Fig. 2). A brown stripe runs lat- further sites at distances of up to 10 km indicates
erally along each side of the body. Length fully that the moth can disperse efficiently. It is expected
grown is ca. 25mm. that the bamboo moth will eventually spread
throughout New Zealand wherever the host plant is
Pupae grown.
Pupation occurs on the leaves of the host plant, Often the first sign of the larvae is a dense mat of
and possibly on nearby structures such as buildings frass beneath the host plant, and in spider’s webs on
and fences. A papery brown cocoon of approxi- the host plant.Yellowing of the leaves occur as the
mately 10mm length is constructed of spun silk and first instars eat the surface of the bamboo leaves and
many of the larval setae are incorporated into the produce small windows in the mesophyll. In later
exterior of the cocoon. The cocoon of An. viridis is instars caterpillar feeding activity severely notches
similar but grey-white. the leaves. Entire stems of bamboo have been defo-
liated in short periods of time, and immature leaves
Discussion are also consumed. The larvae are usually found on
The method of arrival of A. martini is unknown, the underside of leaves, and are sometimes difficult
though the discovery of a cocoon in an imported to detect until they begin descending from the
Japanese vehicle in Tauranga (W. Faulds, pers. foliage by means of silken threads, disperse from the
comm.) indicates a possible mode of entry into New host plant in large numbers on to neighbouring
Zealand. Ships frequently visit Whangarei from sev- buildings, or damage becomes so extensive that the
eral Asian countries, as it is an important forestry caterpillars are detected.
port. In addition, Whangarei is also a port of entry Neither parasitism nor predation of the caterpil-
for a large number of overseas yachts. A. martini was lars was observed at any of the sites examined. Over
first observed feeding on bamboo at a single loca- late summer 1999 the caterpillars inflicted consid-
Gill: Establishment of zygaenid moth
Acknowledgments
I wish to thank Dr Gerhard Tarmann of the Tiroler
Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum Naturwissenschaft-
liche Sammlungen, Austria for the identification of
A.martini, and Mr William Faulds of Forest Research
Ltd., Rotorua, for his assistance with the identifica-
tion of A. martini and production of this paper.
References
Common IFB. 1970. Lepidoptera. In: The Insects of
Australia pp. 765-866. Melbourne University Press,
Carlton,Victoria, Australia.
Dugdale JS. 1988. Lepidoptera – annotated catalogue,
and keys to family-group taxa. Fauna of New Zealand 14
Efetov KA. 1997. Two new species of the genus Artona
Walker, 1854 (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae, Procridinae).
Entomologist’s Gazette 48: 165-177.
Yen S-H, Jean J-L,Yang P-S. 1996. On two Artona
species from Taiwan (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae,
Procridinae). Entomologist’s Gazette 47: 99-108.