Tag Archives: Geometridae

Anisodes hypomion Prout

Christmas Island Anisodes Geometer Moth (Anisodes hypomion)

This species was described in 1933, apparently based on a single specimen, a female: it has a wingspan of 2,2 cm; its wings have a light pinkish cinnamon color and bear several darker and lighter colored markings. [1]

The species was not found since and is considered possibly extinct. [2]

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References:

[1] Louis B. Prout: The Geometridae of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean Bulletin of the Raffles Museum 8: 88-94. 1933
[2] John Woinarski: A Bat’s End: The Christmas Island Pipistrelle and Extinction in Australia. CSIRO Publishing, Victoria, Australia 2018

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edited: 08.09.2020

Hemithea hyperymna Prout

Christmas Island Emerald (Hemithea hyperymna)

The Christmas Island Emerald was described in 1933; it is, or rather was, endemic to Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.

The species hasn’t been seen since the 1930s and might well be extinct. [1]

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References:

[1] John Woinarski: A Bat’s End: The Christmas Island Pipistrelle and Extinction in Australia. CSIRO Publishing, Victoria, Australia 2018

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edited: 02.05.2022

Eupithecia dryinombra (Meyrick)

Wailuku Pug Moth (Eupithecia dryinombra)

The Wailuku Pug Moth was described in 1899, it is known only from the male type specimen.

The species reaches a wingspan of about 1,7 cm, it is rather pale and narrow-winged, there are obscure medial bands on its forewings that are marked by a series of short, disconnected longitudinal dashes.

The species inhabited the native rain forest above a place named Wailuku on the island of Moloka’i, Hawaiian Islands, a habitat that is now heavily degraded by introduced mammalian herbivores. 

The Wailuku Pug Moth was never recorded since its description and is likely extinct. [1][2]

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References:  

[1] E. C. Zimmerman: Insects of Hawaii 7, Macrolepidoptera. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu 1958
[2] Steven L. Montgomery: Carnivorous caterpillars: The behavior, biogeography and conservation of Eupithecia (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) in the Hawaiian Islands. GeoJournal 7.6: 549-556. 1983

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edited: 06.01.2019

Fletcherana giffardi (Swezey)

Giffard’s Geometer Moth (Fletcherana giffardi)

Giffard’s Geometer Moth was described in 1913; it seems to have been restricted to the slopes of the Kīlauea volcano on the island of Hawai’i, Hawaiian Islands.

The species has a wingspan of about 2.4 cm; the head and the thorax are white, slightly mixed with fuscous, the palpi and the antennae are pale ochreous; the abdomen is fusco-cinereous, the segmental margins are white; the forewings are white with a few scattered fuscous scales and are much strigulated with fuscous, the median band has nearly straight anterior and posterior edges and is marked with blackish lines, the anterior line is discontinued between the cell and the costa, the discal dot is round and black; the hind wings are similar to the forewings but with less distinct strigulations.

This species was not found during recent searches and is thought to be extinct.

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syn. Hydriomena giffardi Swezey

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References:

[1] Jon G. Griffin: A comparison of moth diversity at Kilauea (1911-1912) and upper Waiakea Forest Reserve (1998-2000), island of Hawaii. Proc. Hawaiian Entomol. Soc. 39: 15-26. 2007

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edited: 15.01.2024

Comostolopsis regina Thierry-Mieg

Regina’s Comostolopsis Geometer Moth (Comostolopsis regina)

Regina’s Comostolopsis Geometer Moth was described in 1915 based on specimens that had been collected in the years between 1897 and 1898 on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.

The species was apparently never found since and might be extinct.

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References:

[1] John Woinarski: A Bat’s End: The Christmas Island Pipistrelle and Extinction in Australia. CSIRO Publishing, Victoria, Australia 2018

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edited: 19.08.2022

Xanthorhoe bulbulata (Guenée)

South Island Yellow Looper Moth (Xanthorhoe bulbulata)

This species is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand and was once quite common.

The population of the species started to decline sometime after the 1940s and was recorded only twice since, once in 1979 and then again for the last time in 1991; since then, the species is lost and might in fact be completely extinct. [1]

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References:

[1] Brian H. Patrick; Hamish J. H. Patrick; Robert J. B. Hoare: Review of the endemic New Zealand genus Arctesthes Meyrick (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Laurentiinae) with descriptions of two new range-restricted species. Alpine Entomology 3: 121-136. 2019

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female
male

Photos: Manaaki Whenua
https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz

(under creative commons license (4.0))
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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edited: 27.04.2021

Thera juniperata ssp. orcadensis Cockayne

Orkneys Juniper Carpet (Thera juniperata ssp. orcadensis)

The Orkneys Juniper Carpet is a subspecies of the Juniper Carpet (Thera juniperata (L.)), which is distributed from Europe to western Asia; it was described as a distinct subspecies in 1951.

The caterpillars feed exclusively on Common Junipers (Juniperus communis L.).

The nominate form reaches a wingspan of about 2,5 cm; the subspecies discussed here, is smaller and is also lighter, more cream-colored.

The Orkneys Juniper Carpet was restricted to the Orkney Islands and is thought to be extinct now

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Photo: © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London

(under creative commons license (4.0))
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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edited: 03.05.2022

Eupithecia prasinombra (Meyrick)

Ukulele Pug Moth (Eupithecia prasinombra)

The Ukulele Pug Moth was described in 1899, it is known only from the female type specimen.

The species reaches a wingspan of about 1,9 cm, it was originally described as being green, but the sole surviving specimen has faded so much that there is no green color any more, instead it shows some plae cream colored areas, some scales are orange – or rosy-tipped.

The Ukulele Pug Moth inhabited native rain forest areas at a place named Ukulele somewhere in the Haleakala region of eastern Maui, Hawaiian Islands, the habitat is now heavily degraded by introduced mammalian herbivores and the species, which was never found since its description, may already be extinct.

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References:  

[1] E. C. Zimmerman: Insects of Hawaii 7, Macrolepidoptera. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu 1958
[2] Steven L. Montgomery: Carnivorous caterpillars: The behavior, biogeography and conservation of Eupithecia (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) in the Hawaiian Islands. GeoJournal 7.6: 549-556. 1983

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edited: 06.01.2019

Scotorythra nesiotes (Perkins)

Koolau Giant Looper Moth (Scotorythra nesiotes)  

The Koolau Giant Looper Moth was described in 1901, it is known only from the type specimen, which was found in the northwest part of the Ko’olau Mountains on the island of O’ahu, Hawaiian Islands.  

The species reached a wingspan of 4,9 cm. [1]  

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References:  

[1] E. C. Zimmerman: Insects of Hawaii 7, Macrolepidoptera. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu 1958  

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edited: 31.03.2018

Scotorythra megalophylla (Meyrick)

Kona Giant Looper Moth (Scotorythra megalophylla 

The genus Scotorythra is restricted in its distribution to the islands of the Hawaiian Archipelago and contains about 38 species.  

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The Kona Giant Looper Moth was described in 1899, it is apparently known exclusively from female specimens.  

The species was found in the Ola’a forest on the slopes of the Kilauea volcano in the southeastern part of Big Island, but also in the Kona district in the western part of the island.  

The Kona Giant Looper Moth reached a wingspan of about 7,2 to 8,7 cm and was thus one of the largest lepidopteran species on the Hawaiian Islands. [1]  

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References:  

[1] E. C. Zimmerman: Insects of Hawaii 7, Macrolepidoptera. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu 1958  

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Depiction from ‘Fauna Hawaiiensis; being the land-fauna of the Hawaiian Islands. by various authors, 1899-1913. Cambridge [Eng.]: The University Press 1913’

(public domain) 

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edited: 31.03.2018

Tritocleis microphylla Meyrick

Olaa Peppered Looper Moth (Tritocleis microphylla)

The Olaa Peppered Moth was described in 1899; it was restricted to the ‘Ōla’a Forest in what today is the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park on the island of Hawai’i.

The species had a wingspan of 2 cm; its head and thorax were whitish-ochreous, sprinkled with black; the abdomen was whitish-ochreous with a double dorsal series of blackish dots; the forewings were triangular, whitish-ochreous , finely and thinly sprinkled with black; the hind wings were pale whitish-ochrous and were also sprinkled with black.

The Olaa Peppered Moth seems to have never been recorded since its description and is now considered extinct.

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Depiction from: ‘Fauna Hawaiiensis; being the land-fauna of the Hawaiian islands. by various authors, 1899-1913. Cambridge [Eng.]: The University Press 1913’  

(public domain)

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edited: 13.01.2024

Eupithecia pusillata ssp. anglicata (Herrich-Schäffer)

English Juniper Looper (Eupithecia pusillata ssp. anglicata)  

The Juniper Looper (Eupithecia pusillata (Denis & Schiffermüller)) aka. Juniper Pug is distributed over the whole of the nearctic- and palearctic region with the nominate race living in Europe, including the British Isles.  

The form, discussed here, was described as a distinct subspecies, which obviously has always been restricted to only a few places in the English shires of Devon and Staffordshire – the validity of if this form, however, is questionable.  

The English form reached a wingspan of 1,8 to 2 cm, and is considered extinct since about the middle of the 19th century (?).  

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Depiction from: ‘Richard South: The moths of the British Isles. London, F. Warne & Co. 1907-09’ 

(not in copyright)

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edited: 13.09.2020