''Dichromodes ida'' (also known as the blue and orange rock looper) is a

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

of the family

Geometridae The geometer moths are moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyleti ...

. This species was first described by

George Hudson George Hudson (probably 10 March 1800 – 14 December 1871) was an English railway financier and politician who, because he controlled a significant part of the Railway Mania, railway network in the 1840s, became known as "The Railway King"—a ...

in 1905. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

and is found in

Central Otago Central Otago is an area located in the inland part of the Otago region in the South Island of New Zealand. The motto for the area is "A World of Difference". The area is dominated by mountain ranges and the upper reaches of the Clutha River ...

. This species inhabits open rocky places at altitudes between 100m to 900m. The larvae of ''D. ida'' are cryptic in appearance and feed on lichens growing on rocks. They appear to pupate in rock clefts, forming a chamber made of moss and silk. Adults are day flying and are on the wing from October until December.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by George Hudson in 1905 using a specimen collected at

Ida Valley The Ida Valley lies east of the Manuherikia River, Manuherikia Valley in :en:Central Otago, Central Otago, New Zealand. At an altitude of around , the 40 km long flat and wide valley is a relatively dry region with cold winters and hot su ...

by J. H. Lewis. George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. The male

lectotype In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally associated. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes ...

is held at

Te Papa The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is New Zealand's national museum and is located in Wellington. Usually known as Te Papa (Māori language, Māori for 'Waka huia, the treasure box'), it opened in 1998 after the merging of the Nation ...

Description

J. H. Lewis, the collector of the holotype specimen, was quoted by Hudson describing the pupa and larvae of this species. Lewis was quoted as follows: Hudson described this species as follows:

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is endemic to

Habitat and hosts

This species inhabits open rocky country at altitudes between 100 and 900 m. Larvae of this species feed on lichens which grow on rocks.

Behaviour

The adults of this species are day flying and are on the wing between October and December.

References

External links

Research grade image
of the larvae of this species. {{Taxonbar, from=Q13536186 Oenochrominae Moths described in 1905 Moths of New Zealand Endemic fauna of New Zealand Taxa named by George Hudson Endemic moths of New Zealand