morelia spilota spilota is a subspecies of carpet python ( morelia spilota ) , popularly known as the diamond python .

it is a medium to large snake , found in coastal areas and adjacent ranges of south-eastern australia .

they are the most southerly occurring python in the world and are found at higher altitudes than any other species of australian python .

morelia spilota spilota

common name : carpet python scientific name : morelia spilota sp . sub - species : jungle ( morelia spilota cheynei ) , irian jaya ( morelia spilota harrisoni ) , coastal ( morelia spilota mcdowelli ) , centralian ( morelia bredli ) , inland ( morelia spilota metcalfei ) , northwestern ( morelia spilota variegata ) , southwestern ( morelia spilota imbricata )
coluber spilotus lacépède 1804 : 209 python punctatus merrem 1820 : 90 python perronii wagler 1828 morelia variegata gray 1842 morelia argus — duméril & bibron 1844 : 385 morelia argus fasciolata jan 1864 python spilotes — boulenger 1893 : 82 morelia spilota macrospila werner 1910 ( fide loveridge 1934 : 270 ) python spilotus — de rooij 1917 : 26 python bredli gow 1981 ( fide kluge 1993 ) python spilotus imbricatus smith 1981 morelia metcalfei wells & wellington 1985 montypythonoides riversleighensis smith & plane 1985 ( fide kluge 1993 ) morelia spilota — kluge 1993 morelia spilota — mcdiarmid , campbell & touré 1999 : 173 morelia spilota — cogger 2000 : 614 morelia mippughae hoser 2003 morelia spilota — mense 2006 morelia metcalfei — greer 2006 ( online ) morelia wellsi hoser 2012 morelia argus — philippen 2012 morelia spilota — reynolds et al . 2014 morelia spilota — wallach et al . 2014 : 453 morelia spilota spilota ( lacépède 1804 ) coluber spilotus lacépède 1804 morelia spilotes spilotes — worrell 1961 morelia argus argus — stimson 1969 python spilotus spilotus — smith 1981 : 222 morelia spilota spilota — mense 2006 morelia spilota cheynei wells & wellington 1984 morelia cheynei wells & wellington 1984 morelia spilota cheynei — franz 2003 morelia spilota cheynei — mense 2006 morelia spilota cheynei — mattison 2007 : 210 morelia cheynei — greer 2006 ( online ) morelia spilota cheynei — alcini 2009 morelia spilota cheynei — mense 2010 morelia spilota cheynei — mense 2016 morelia spilota harrisoni hoser 2000 morelia harrisoni hoser 2000 morelia spilota variegata morelia spilota harrisoni — mense 2006 morelia spilota harrisoni — mense 2016 morelia spilota harrisoni — kunz 2017 morelia spilota imbricata smith 1981 morelia spilota imbricata — franz 2003 morelia macburniei hoser 2003 morelia spilota imbricata — mense 2006 morelia imbricata — greer 2006 ( online ) morelia imbricata — barker et al . 2015 morelia spilota mcdowelli wells & wellington 1984 morelia mcdowelli wells & wellington 1984 morelia spilota mcdowelli — franz 2003 morelia spilota mcdowelli — mense 2006 morelia mcdowelli — greer 2006 ( online ) morelia spilota mcdowelli — mense 2016 morelia spilota metcalfei wells & wellington 1985 morelia metcalfei wells & wellington 1985 : 41 morelia spilotes metcalfei — michael et al . 2011 morelia spilota metcalfei — mense 2016 morelia spilota metcalfei — murphy 2016 morelia spilota variegata gray morelia variegata gray 1842 : 43 morelia variegata — macleay 1877 : 34 morelia variegata — mccoy 1878 : 13 morelia argus variegata — mitchell 1951 : 545 morelia spilotes variegata — mitchell 1955 morelia argus variegata — stimson 1969 python spilotus variegatus — smith 1981 : 224 morelia variegata — richman et al . 1988 python spilotes variegatus — wolff 1989 morelia spilota variegata — franz 2003 morelia spilota variegata — mense 2006 morelia variegata — greer 2006 ( online ) morelia spilota variegata — mense 2016
michelle marshall set
image of morelia spilota
as an exemplar on
morelia spilota lacépède 1804
.
morelia spilota variegata is a subspecies of python found in new guinea and australia , [ 1 ] smaller than the nominate subspecies morelia spilota spilota and has a more restricted geographic range .
file : darwin carpet python ( morelia spilota variegata ) ( 869129 . . .
file : darwin carpet python ( morelia spilota variegata ) ( 869240 . . .
file : darwin carpet python ( morelia spilota variegata ) ( 869239 . . .
oviparous . kivit & wiseman ( 2005 ) report a hybrid between m . viridis and m . spilota cheynei . banks & schwaner ( 1984 ) describe a hybrid between morelia spilota and liasis mackloti as well as hybrids between morelia spilota and morelia amethistina .
mense , marc 2005 . pseudomonas aerigonusa in morelia spilota cheynei en morelia spilota harrisoni ; infection and treatment . litteratura serpentium 25 ( 4 ) : 242 - 246 - get paper here
jennifer hammock split the classifications by biopix from morelia spilota lacépède 1804 to their own page .
the primary purpose of this paper is to document a recent case of captive hybridisation between a victorian ( inland form ) carpet python ( morelia spilota metcalfei ) and a coastal queensland carpet python ( morelia spilota mcdowelli ) as well as another case of hybridisation between a male centralian carpet python ( morelia spilota bredli ) and a female inland nsw carpet python ( morelia spilota metcalfei ) .
mense , m . 2006 . rautenpythons - morelia bredli , morelia carinata und der morelia - spilota - komplex . natur und tier verlag , münster , 207 pp . - get paper here
geographic variation in sexual size dimorphism within a single snake species ( morelia spilota , pythonidae ) .
michelle marshall added an association between
n130 _ w1150
and
morelia spilota lacépède 1804
.
mense , marc 2009 . tongue flicking behaviour by morelia spilota and morelia bredli . litteratura serpentium 29 ( 4 ) : 166 - 171 - get paper here
head of carpet python , morelia spilota , showing heat sensitive pits along jaw - line and forked tongue .
a number of synonyms refer to this subspecies : morelia variegata - gray , 1842 ; morelia variegata - gray , 1849 ; morelia argus variegata - jan & sordelli , 1864 ; morelia argus variegata - mitchell , 1951 ; morelia spilotes variegata - mitchell , 1955 ; morelia argus variegata - stimson , 1969 ; python spilotus variegatus - l . a . smith , 1981 ; morelia variegata - wells & wellington , 1984 ; and * morelia spilota variegata - barker & barker , 1984 . [ 3 ]
luciën 1997 . breeding report morelia spilota mcdowelli . litteratura serpentium 17 : 32 - 32 - 34 - get paper here
geographic variation in sexual size dimorphism within a single snake species ( morelia spilota , pythonidae ) . - pubmed - ncbi
mense , m . 2004 . a review of the australo - papuan carpet python complex ( morelia bredli , morelia carinata and morelia spilota ) , with a key to the species . litteratura serpentium 24 ( 4 ) : 178 - 204
rooyendijk , lucien 1999 . morelia spilota imbricata . litteratura serpentium 19 ( 2 ) : 53 - 55 - get paper here
pitón de bredl ( morelia bredli ) -
spilota bredli
- cuidados , información . . etc / / saber animal
the jungle carpet python subspecies ( morelia spilota cheynei ) are native to a small region of the northwestern australian rain forests .
diamond python ( morelia spilota spilota ) * family : pythonidae , * genus : morelia , * species : m . spilota , * subspecies : m . s . spilota , * phylum : chordata , * subphylum : vertebrata , * class : reptilia , * order : squamata , * suborder : serpentes , * type : reptile , * diet : carnivore , * size : subspecies is between 2 - - 3 metres , sometimes reaching a length of 4 metres , * weight : between 4 and 10kg , * avarege lifespan in the wilds : between 15 to 20 years , * * morelia spilota spilota is a subspecies of the
carpet and diamond pythons
( morelia spilota ) , informally known as the diamond python . more info : urltoken
this involved a male centralian carpet python ( morelia spilota bredli ) and a female inland nsw carpet python ( morelia spilota metcalfei ) , that were being held on public display at the buxton zoo about 110 km east of melbourne , victoria , located on the maroondah highway .
fyfe , greg 1990 . notes on the central carpet python morelia spilota bredli . herpetofauna ( sydney ) 20 ( 2 ) : 11 - 14
scott ellsworth changed the thumbnail image of
pitão - de - cheynei / / jungle carpet python ( morelia spilota subsp . cheynei )
.
fearn , simon 1996 . captive growth of a carpet python morelia spilota . litteratura serpentium 16 ( 4 ) : 94 - 102 - get paper here
mense , marc 2009 . care and breeding of the papua carpet python morelia spilota harrisoni . litteratura serpentium 29 ( 2 ) : 52 - 62 - get paper here
mense , marc 2010 . colour and pattern variants in carpet pythons ( morelia spilota ) . litteratura serpentium 30 ( 4 ) : 208 - 218 - get paper here
hingley , kevin j . & mark hemmings 1995 . breeding results : morelia spilota variegata - carpet python . litteratura serpentium 15 ( 3 ) : 79 - get paper here
furthermore there are no snakes known from any location in the wild that on close inspection seem to match the bredli x morelia spilota metcalfei hybrids that resulted from the mating .
arth , steven & sandra baus 2010 . haltung und nachzucht des dschungel - teppichpythons , morelia spilota cheynei . draco 11 ( 44 ) : 60 - 72 - get paper here
pearson , david ; richard shine ; andrew williams 2002 . geographic variation in sexual size dimorphism within a single snake species ( morelia spilota , pythonidae ) . oecologia 131 : 418–426
bergadá , j . 2005 . morelia spilota - carpet python ; diamond python ( lacépède , 1804 ) . reptilia ( gb ) ( 42 ) : 43 - 46 - get paper here
maryan , brad 1994 . the western australian carpet python ( morelia spilota imbricata ) how little we know about it ! . herpetofauna ( sydney ) 24 ( 1 ) : 30 - 32
while it is presumed that other hybridisations between regional forms of the carpet python ( morelia spilota subspp . ) have occurred in captivity , there appears to be a relative paucity of information on this activity .
slip , david j . & richard shine 1991 . literature : thermoregulation of free - ranging diamond pythons , morelia spilota ( serpentes , boidae ) . litteratura serpentium 11 ( 5 ) : 117 - get paper here
kortlang , simon 1994 . husbandry and reproduction in the northern territory / kimberly form carpet python , morelia spilota variegata ( gray , 1842 ) . litteratura serpentium 14 ( 1 ) : 25 - 32 - get paper here
shine , r . ; fitzgerald , m . 1995 . variation in mating systems and sexual size dimorphism between populations of the australian python morelia spilota ( serpentes : pythonidae ) . oecologia 103 ( 4 ) : 490 - 498
ultimately , whether or not bredli is accepted as a full species or a subspecies may revolve around how one defines a species . a question worth asking may be , ' are bredli merely an isolated population of carpet snakes ( morelia spilota ) and does this simple fact justify the arbitrary making these reproductively isolated snakes into a full species in their own right ? '
several species of carpet python have been identified across australia , including morelia spilota , m . macdowelli , m . variegata , m . cheynei , m . imbricata , m . metcalfei and m . bredli . the
type species
in the carpet python is actually the diamond python ; this is due to its having been first described rather than to any revolutionary theory .
morelia spilota has a limited range on the coast of new south wales ( nsw ) , from port macquarie on the midcoast to the border of victoria in the south . considered by some to be one of the most beautiful pythons in the world , the diamond python varies considerably throughout its range . it inhabits dry and wet sclerophyll forests and sandstone escarpments throughout its range .
banks , c . b . ( 1980 ) ' pythons of the genus morelia ' . a . s . r . a . journal 2 ( 2 ) : 37 - 42 .
grundke , f . & b . grundke 1993 . feldherpetologische beiträge zur fauna australiens . teil 4a : zur biologie und verbreitung von pythonarten in queensland ( qld . ) , new south wales ( n . s . w . ) und northern territory ( n . t . ) mit besonderer berücksichtigung des morelia spilota - komplexes . herpetofauna 15 ( 82 ) : 26 - 34 - get paper here
this python is known to be common and widespread in many areas , but there have been localized declines , particularly in inland arid and semi - arid regions ( shine 1994 , shine and fitzgerald 1996 , bush et al . 1995 ) . the numbers of the putative subspecies morelia spilota imbricata have declined across most of south - western australia presumably due to habitat degradation and clearance ( pearson et al . 2005 ) .
this involved an inland victorian carpet python ( morelia spilota metcalfei ) and a coastal queensland carpet python ( morelia spilota mcdowelli ) . the case happened in the early 1990 ' s when herpetologist matt hingley lived in victoria at vermont . the two adults were housed together in a large cage when they mated . eggs were laid and incubated in a fairly standard manner ( 50 % water to 50 % vermiculite by weight ) in an incubator made out of a converted fridge . incubation temperature was kept at about 30 degrees celsius . the hatchlings appeared to be intermediate in colouration between the adults but didn ' t really look like either . most off the eggs incubated and hatched in a routine way and the young animals posed few if any problems in rearing . at the time of writing ( early 1999 ) some of these offspring remain alive and in good health .
webber , p . 1978 , ' a note on an aggregation of diamond pythons morelia s . spilotes in the grose valley n . s . w . ' , herpetofauna 10 ( 1 ) : 25 - 26 .
however the physical attributes of the hybrid offspring between bredli and morelia spilota metcalfei may be interpreted by some to support the hypothesis that the two forms are different species . the hybrid snakes do not seem to have the distinctive eye of bredli . bredli usually have a distinct bluey - grey eye which contrasts strongly with the reddish brown and yellow coloration . most other carpet snakes including the hybrids lack this property , instead having eyes that more closely seem to match the body colour pattern .
hoser , r . t . , 1982 . ' australian pythons ( part 4 ) , genus morelia and python carinatus , followed by discussions on the taxonomy and evolution of australasian pythons ' , herptile 7 ( 2 ) : 2 - 17 .
as a
sydneysider
, i regularly get calls from people in the suburbs adjoining bushland , asking me to remove diamond pythons ( morelia spilota ) from their dwellings . i ' ve found carpets under residents ' roofs and even basking at poolside , enjoying the morning sun . ironically , the majority of herpetologists who live in diamond python areas have seen relatively few in the wild . like the eastern blue - tongued skink ( tiliqua scincoides ) , these pythons are more often seen on the fringes of suburbia than they are when purposely sought in the wild .
morelia imbricata , or the southwestern carpet , has , as its name implies an imbricated pattern ( that is , its scales appear to overlap , like roof tiles ) . it is found in western australia to the south and on some islands off the southern australian coast .
. . . mating has been recorded in september and november , with egg deposition in early january ( bush 1988bush , 1997 ) . like other members of the genus morelia , females typically produce large clutches ( 16–17 , n = 3 ; bush 1997 ) . . . .
wells , r . w . , and c . r . wellington . 1984 . a synopsis of the class reptilia in australia . australian journal of herpetology 1 ( 3 - 4 ) : 73 - 129 . (
morelia cheynei sp . nov .
, pp . 106–107 . )
morelia bredli is a striking python , distinctly different in its coloration . isolated by thousands of miles of desert and not commonly seen , it inhabits rocky areas and dry riverbeds of central australia , where it lives in hollows or rock crevices . this snake exhibits some magnificent shades of red and is favourite of many herpetologists .
ellis , ryan j . 2014 . book review : the complete children ' s python : a comprehensive guide to the natural history , care , and breeding of antaresia species , and the complete carpet python : a comprehensive guide to the natural history , care , and breeding of the morelia spilot herpetological review 45 ( 3 ) : 529 - 530
. . . the only information on reproduction comes from observations of captive specimens . mating has been recorded in september and november , with egg deposition in early january ( bush 1988 bush , 1997 ) . like other members of the genus morelia , females typically produce large clutches ( 16–17 , n = 3 ; bush 1997 ) . . . .
morelia variegata , the top - end carpet python , is the most widespread of the carpet pythons , ranging from cape york in the north of queensland to the kimberley ranges of northern western australia . the types of forest that these animals can be found in is variable . within their range they can be found marauding in most habitat areas . this species ' coloration is often lighter and more colorful than its southeastern relative ' s .
morelia metcalfei , the murray / darling carpet , is named after the two rivers that transect the region in which it is found . this species inhabits areas adjacent to these rivers in victoria , nsw and south australia . it is a smallish python , rarely exceeding 6 feet , and is known for its good temperament . its creamy mottled pattern , particularly around the head , is clearly different from its counterparts . this creamy gray coloration continues down the dorsal surface in blotches .
morelia macdowelli inhabits southeast queensland and finds its way down into nsw , to the
hybrid
area of the mid - coast . the
coastal carpet
is the biggest of the carpet python species , occasionally reaching lengths nearing 10 feet and regularly attaining about 8 feet . it is common within its range and does not appear to be secretive like the diamond python . it exhibits a dark , mottled mustard , brown and black pattern , in general , which is an extremely effective camouflage . once again , these snakes inhabit forested areas .
continent : australia distribution : new guinea , australia ( new south wales , north territory , queensland , south australia , victoria except south , n and s west australia ; not in the arid center of australia ) cheynei : ne queensland harrisoni : southern coast of papua new guinea to the indonesian part of west papua ( formerly irian jaya ) , in west papua up to merauke . mcdowelli : from n cape york through queensland to n new south wales metcalfei : from s queensland , new south wales and n victoria to south australia . macburniei : australia ( south australia : st . francis island ) ; type locality : st . francis island , south australia . holotype : sama r13994 . spilota : coastal new south wales . imbricata : s west australia . variegata : n australia . type locality :
nouvelle - hollande
[ = australia ]
harrisoni : southern coast of papua new guinea to the indonesian part of west papua ( formerly irian jaya ) , in west papua up to merauke .
metcalfei : from s queensland , new south wales and n victoria to south australia .
macburniei : australia ( south australia : st . francis island ) ; type locality : st . francis island , south australia .
mippughae : australia ( south australia , north flinders ranges ) ; type locality : moolooloo , north flinders ranges , south australia , lat : 30°59’ long : 138°35’ .
note : tdwg regions are generated automatically from the text in the distribution field and not in every cases it works well . we are working on it .
holotype : mnhn 3272 , presumed lost , according to stimson ( 1969 : 28 ) . holotype :
rib general no . 4414 ( type no . 2496 ) .
mr hn 2496 , listed as syntype by lang , 1990 [ macrospila ] holotype : south australian museum ( sam ) , adelaide , sa , specimen number : r1665 [ mippughae ] holotype : sama r13994 [ macburniei ]
“named in honour of mrs mip pugh of breakwater , victoria for her long term contributions to herpetology . she is part of the husband and wife team , the other half being mick pugh ( whom this species is not named in honour ) . mip has over the last few decades given free of charge many hundreds of hours of useful advice and guidance to reptile keepers in victoria , especially in relation to her favorite reptiles , which are lizard species such as bearded dragons ( pogona spp . ) and other commonly kept species . her house has often been a defacto hotel suite for countless other herpetologists who have enjoyed her hospitality . ” [ from hoser 2003 ]
banks , c . , schwaner , t . d . , 1984 . two cases of interspecific hybridization among captive australian boid snakes [ python spilotes , python amethistinus , liasis mackloti . ] . zoo biology 3 : 221 - 227
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wolff , e . 1989 . der rauten - oder teppichpython python spilotes variegatus ( gray 1842 ) ( serp [ entes : boidae ) in der f2 - generation im tierpark hellabrunn . salamandra 25 ( 1 ) : 54 - 56 - get paper here
worrell , e . 1961 . herpetological name changes . western australian naturalist 8 : 18—27 .
this database is maintained by peter uetz ( database content ) and jakob hallermann , zoological museum hamburg ( new species and updates ) .
a diamond python in your roof will not cause any damage but will help control rats and possums .
the diamond python is found in large bushland areas and national parks of sydney , but often goes undetected because of its nocturnal , slow - moving habits .
like all pythons , the diamond python kills its prey by wrapping itself around its victim ( in this case , small mammals and lizards ) and suffocating it .
during the day , the diamond python may be seen basking in trees and occasionally it is found in roofs and rafters .
the female diamond python lays eggs and coils around them to protect them and keep them warm . this maternal care , which is uncommon in snakes , ceases once the offspring hatch .
the diamond python is not as widespread in sydney as it once was and , although it is not considered endangered , it is under pressure from habitat destruction .
pythons are non - venomous but can inflict a painful bite . teeth can break off and remain embedded in the victim .
the number of species increased from 10 , 711 to 10 , 793 , i . e . an increase of 82 species . 66 new species have been described , 9 species have been revalidated from synonymy and 16 subspecies were elevated to full species . . .
over the past 4 months , the number of species increased from 10 , 639 to 10 , 711 .
the number of species has grown from 10 , 544 in the may release to now 10 , 639 ( + 95 species ) .
overall , 212 new taxa have been added or changed their status or name .
the reptile database is a taxonomic database that provides basic information about all living reptile species , such as turtles , snakes , lizards , and crocodiles , as well as tuataras and amphisbaenians , but does not include dinosaurs .
currently there are more than 10 , 000 species and an additional 2 , 700 subspecies . this is making reptiles the largest vertebrate group after fish ( ~ 25 , 000 species ) and birds ( ~ 10 , 000 species ) , and significantly larger than mammals ( ~ 5 , 000 species ) or amphibians ( ~ 6 , 000 species ) .
the reptile database provides taxonomic information for the catalogue of life and the encyclopedia of life . our taxonomic information has also been used by genbank and many other resources and is the only comprehensive reptile database on the web .
the reptile database can be used to find all species within a certain geographic area ( e . g . all snakes of egypt ) . its collection of more than 2 , 500 images allow users to identify a species or at least get an idea how the species or genus may look like . more than 30 , 000 references provide a guide to further information .
closely related to the carpet pythons , diamond pythons have a distinctive pattern of a black background with cream or yellow spots and blotches . there is some variation between individuals ranging from snakes that are predominantly black with a few light spots , to others that have bright yellow scales edged in black plus yellow diamond - shaped patches surrounded by black . these beautiful snakes may reach three metres in length , but two metres is more usual . as with all pythons , this snake is non - venomous .
the diamond python is restricted to the coastal areas of new south wales , where it gradually merges with the carpet python in the area north of newcastle . the two subspecies will interbreed where they overlap . habitat types are usually well vegetated , such as rainforest margins and woodland , but they will also utilise heathland and rocky outcrops .
hatchling diamond pythons feed almost solely on small lizards . as they grow , their diet broadens to incorporate small birds and mammals , with adults feeding predominantly on such warm - blooded prey . possums , fruit bats and rodents are particular favourites . humans , even small ones , are never at risk but a large python may take domestic pets such as rabbits , guinea pigs or even a small cat or dog .
in spring , female diamond pythons may attract several males all vying for the opportunity to mate . the clutch of 15 - 20 eggs is laid in early summer in a secluded spot and the female will coil around them until they hatch . unlike many other reptiles , whose young are more brightly coloured than the adults , diamond python hatchlings are surprisingly bland in colour , only developing the bright yellow and cream markings as they grow .
diamond pythons often take up residence in the roof spaces of private houses . many people are not keen on having such lodgers , however , the snakes carry out a very beneficial task by eliminating any unwanted rodent pests . once the food supply has been exhausted , the snakes will often move on to another home .
the australian reptile park and wildlife sanctuary is regarded as one of the country ' s premier attractions and is the only zoo in australia committed to saving lives with a spider and snake venom - milking program in place .
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devil ark is a not for profit organisation and registered charity , dedicated to ensuring the survival of the endangered tasmanian devil at risk of extinction due to devil facial tumour disease ( dftd ) . urltoken
as if running the reptile park wasn ' t enough , tim also has his own tv show , active social channels and a self - imposed mandate to provide further knowledge of australian wildlife right around the world . you can keep up with everything tim is doing at urltoken .
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thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
six different subspecies have been recognized in australia ( barker and barker 1994 ) , largely based on colour pattern , although the boundaries between many of these are fluid and poorly defined ( cogger 2014 ) . of there only
this status of populations assigned to this species in new guinea is unclear ( o ' shea 2007 ) . seven subspecies are typically recognized ; the elevation of several to species level by hoser ( 2000 ) was made without comment and has been rejected by subsequent workers ( schleip and o ' shea 2010 ) . hoser ' s proposed subspecies
subspecies , and is considered invalid by schleip and o ' shea ( 2010 ) . additionally , it has been argued that the name
tallowin , o . , parker , f . , o ' shea , m . , vanderduys , e . , wilson , s . , shea , g . & hobson , r .
cox , n . a . , de silva , r . , milligan , h . t . , wearn , o . r . , wren , s . , zamin , t . , sears , j . , wilson , p . , lewis , s . , lintott , p . , powney , g .
this species is one of the most widespread australian python species ( torr 2000 ) . it occurs over much of the mainland ( except southern victoria and the central and western desert regions ) and many offshore islands . it is known from the torres strait islands of waiben , and kirriri ( lavery
2012 ) . in papua new guinea this species occurs throughout the southern trans - fly region in western province , the national capital district and adjacent central province ( yule island south to kwikila ) . in indonesian new guinea
occurs in south - east papua province as far as merauke ( probably contiguous with the south fly population ) . there is a isolated record from mamberamo river in the north of papua province . it has been recorded at elevations of sea level to < 50 m asl ( o’shea 1996 ) .
yuwono ( 1998 ) recorded trade in this species from indonesian new guinea and reported that it was always available in adequate numbers .
the carpet python is , however , popular in the international pet trade and has been collected from the wild in indonesia and traded for this purpose since at least 1992 .
is currently the only country that allows the legal harvest and export of wild carpet pythons , which are listed in appendix ii of the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora ( cites ) ( natusch and lyons 2012 ) . the cites trade database suggests that indonesia exceeded their quota for this species in several years . as the cost of producing large number of snakes in captivity is greater than collecting similar numbers from the wild , it is likely that many carpet pythons sold as farm - bred are , in fact , wild - caught
in australia , it is commonly kept in the domestic pet trade ; there is no export from australia . the species is well - established in captivity in the australian pet trade ( leseberg and campbell 2015 ) .
' s range ( p . robertson and n . clemann pers . comm . 2017 ) . habitat loss prevents this species from finding suitable hiding places to ambush prey and suitable shelter to brood their eggs ( pearson
. 2016 ) . predation by foxes has been documented ( robertson and hurley 2001 ) .
roads and development have caused a substantial decline in the subpopulation around port moresby , papua new guinea . possible drivers of habitat loss include overgrazing by livestock and agricultural expansion ( cogger
. 2014 ) . nevertheless the species survives in areas where cane toads have been established for decades . some degree of captive breeding and release of individuals outside of their area of origin is thought to be affecting the genetic purity of some subpopulations .
this species is listed under appendix ii of the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora ( cites ) .
this species has protected status in australia and papua new guinea but not in indonesian new guinea ( natusch and lyons 2012 ) .
tallowin , o . , parker , f . , o ' shea , m . , vanderduys , e . , wilson , s . , shea , g . & hobson , r . 2017 .
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lacépède , b . g . e . 1804 ,
mémoire sur plusieurs animaux de la nouvelle - hollande dont la description n ' a pas encore été publiée
, annales du muséum national d ' histoire naturelle . paris , vol . 4 , pp . 184 - 211 pls 55 - 58
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 5b0ff261 - 0ac0 - 4c43 - b033 - 347a3429f1ef
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 87d0d7b8 - 1267 - 463c - a335 - 088f1c1aefa9
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 8af142dc - 3523 - 4fc6 - 99cd - c95841a4e366
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 8dea0a55 - 0ea3 - 4d1e - a036 - c20ca2bfb4e5
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : f980353c - b2b9 - 44f0 - 9f8b - 23da3d1fab5e
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 8ee87cd8 - b82b - 45d1 - aa78 - a1a6f4843f26
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . name : 426128
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mcdiarmid , roy w . , jonathan a . campbell , and t ' shaka a . touré
snake species of the world : a taxonomic and geographic reference , vol . 1
disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .
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schleip , w . d . & o ' shea , m . 2010 ,
annotated checklist of the recent and extinct pythons ( serpentes , pythonidae ) , with notes on nomenclature , taxonomy , and distribution
, zookeys , vol . 66 , no . 29 - 79
hoser , r . 2000 ,
a revision of the australasian pythons
, ophidia review , vol . 1 , pp . 7 - 27
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 04517393 - 2eba - 48b1 - b8bb - e87d12f1b6fe
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 30176060 - 8809 - 43ce - 81a5 - c7cbafb4dab7
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 7608a2b7 - 818d - 4d8e - 8081 - 55ce82256e12
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : abd69f6d - a747 - 476e - 95b4 - cb26c2389ba1
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : f5f15f51 - 157e - 4f4b - 96e8 - 6b612acc67b3
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 8abc16cd - d2b6 - 43e7 - 853e - 0275a2ed7697
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . name : 627938
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carpet snakes are extremely variable in colour and pattern . most specimens are olive green , with pale , dark - edged blotches , stripes or cross - bands . the juveniles are similarly patterned , but often in shades of brown rather than olive green . a row of deep pits can be seen along the lower jaw and many small scales are present on the top of the head . this species can grow to more than 3 m in length . midbody scale rows 40–65 ; ventrals 240–310 , narrow ; anal single ; subcaudals divided 60–95 .
lives in open forests , rainforests , coastal heaths , rural lands , park lands and suburban gardens .
this snake is active both day and night and can be encountered on the ground , in trees or buildings ( particularly chicken pens , barns and attics ) .
this species is non - venomous , but tetanus protection is recommended following bites .
feeds on frogs , lizards , birds , mammals . cane toads are sometime taken as prey with fatal consequences for the snake .
10–47 eggs are laid in early summer . the eggs are concealed in a sheltered site ( beneath building materials , between hay bales , hollow stump or a depression in ground ) and are incubated by the female who will ` shiver ' to generate heat . the female leaves the nest to bask in the morning sun and returns to her eggs in a pre - heated condition . nesting females will defend their eggs . the hatchling snakes measure around 39 cm from the snout to the base of the tail ( snout - vent length ) .
this species is most similar to the spotted python , antaresia maculosa , which is fawn to brown with numerous dark purplish - brown blotches . adult spotted pythons are much smaller than carpet snakes and have 3 scales across the top of the head in a straight line between the eyes .
queensland museum ' s find out about . . . is proudly supported by the thyne reid foundation and the tim fairfax family foundation .
u . s . department of the interior | u . s . geological survey url : urltoken page contact information : pubs warehouse contact page page last modified : february 14 , 2017 14 : 21 : 48
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welcome to the fort collins science center ( fort ) located in fort collins , colorado , just east of the rocky mountains . at fort we develop and disseminate research - based information and tools needed to understand the nation’s biological resources in support of effective decision making .
landsat satellites provide high - quality , imagery of urban , rural , and remote lands for all areas of the world . the imagery is applied to a variety of research areas , such as climate change research , agriculture , and environmental management .
the florida everglades encompass a vast subtropical ecosystem . billions of dollars have been committed to the long - term restoration of this ecosystem , but burgeoning populations of introduced and invasive reptiles threaten prospects for restoration .
wind energy is one of the fastest - growing industries in the world , however , widespread deployment of wind turbines is having unprecedented adverse impacts on tree - roosting and migratory bat species .
at the request of the blm , the usgs worked with federal and state agency partners to develop a report that synthesizes the scientific literature published since records of decision were completed for 2015 blm / usda forest service land use plan amendments for greater sage - grouse , and provides potential management implications of the science .
the sheer number of scientific publications related to greater sage - grouse research can be a challenge for managers to navigate when updating plans for managing greater sage - grouse and sagebrush ecosystems . to assist in this process , the usgs reviewed and summarized scientific literature published since january 1 , 2015 .
early in his college career , u . s . geological survey geophysicist rufus catchings became drawn to the mysteries that lie beneath the earth’s surface — and was determined to understand them .
we investigated pcb contamination at the ashtabula river area of concern ( aoc ) following remedial dredging using araneid and tetragnathid spiders . pcb concentrations remain elevated in the aoc compared to reference conditions . patterns of contamination were strikingly similar between taxa , but were higher in tetragnathids at the most contaminated . . .
walters , david m . ; otter , ryan r . ; kraus , johanna m . ; mills , marc a .
walters , d . m . . , r . r . otter , j . m . kraus , and m . a . mills . in press . riparian spiders indicate the magnitude and sources of polychlorinated biphenyl ( pcb ) contamination at a large contaminated sediment site . environmental toxicology and chemistry . doi : 10 . 1002 / etc . 4216
human activities on floodplains have severely disrupted the regeneration of foundation riparian shrub and tree species of the salicaceae family ( populus and salix spp . ) throughout the northern hemisphere . restoration ecologists initially tackled this problem from a terrestrial perspective that emphasized planting . . . .
gonzalez , eduardo ; martinez - fernandez , vanesa ; shafroth , patrick b . ; sher , anna a . ; henry , annie l . ; garofano - gomez , virginia ; corenblit , dov
gonzalez , e . , v . martinez - fernandez , p . b . shafroth , a . a . sher , a . l . henry , v . garofano - gomez , and d . corenblit . 2018 . regeneration of salicaceae riparian forests in the northern hemisphere : a new framework and management tool . journal of environmental management 218 : 374 - 387 .
defensive variability of crops and natural systems can alter herbivore communities and reduce herbivory . however , it is still unknown how defense variability translates into herbivore suppression . nonlinear averaging and constraints in physiological tracking ( also more generally called time - dependent effects ) are the two mechanisms by which . . .
pearse is , paul r , ode pj . 2018 variation in plant defense suppresses herbivore performance . current biology ( in press )
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adequate prehensility . caution is therefore necessary when obtaining blood samples from caudal veins .
ml / kg and sent of a faecal sample to the pathologist . a flagellate ,
may reside in the crop without the manifestation of this disease ( david edmonds , pers . comm . ) .
regularly for several months and then not eat for 3 - 10 months . when an individual is feeding food is provided ad lib .
15 / 01 / 94 , n = 17 , female svl 173 cm , weight 2 . 1 kg .
eggs 13 - 17 adhered in a clump and were weighed and incubated as such .
laid 27 / 12 / 95 , n = 17 , female svl 181 cm , weight 1 . 9 kg .
laid 18 / 11 / 95 , n = 17 , female svl 171 cm , weight 1 . 94 kg .
* 5 and 14 died after slitting egg . the number of each has no relati
damn good person and deserves special mention for tolerating my passion and me for the past 30 odd years .
bush , b . , maryan , b . , browne - cooper , r . and robinson , d . 19
kreger , m . d . and mench , j . a . 1993 .
ibution , status and conservation of pythons in western australia . pp 383 - 95 . in :
a female captive - bred western tiger snake ( notechis scutatus occidentalis ) lived for 13 years , 4 months and , commencing at 47 months of age , produced 5 consecutive litters of offspring numbering 136 .
polymorphism occurs in the highly venomous western brown snake ( pseudonaja nuchalis ) . both banded and monotonal individuals are reported in the same clutch .
additions to the description of paroplocephalus atriceps ( serpentes : elapidae ) with a discussion on . . .
morphometric data on an additional twelve individuals of paroplocephalus atriceps storr are included enlarging keogh et al . ’s 2000 description of the genus and further verifying its affinities with hoplocephalus . included are comments on its venom and observations confirming arboreality and although primarily nocturnal , it includes some diurnal activity . various authors have erroneously . . . [ show full abstract ]


the wingspan is about 5.5 mm .

the forewings are creamy white , dusted with pale ocherous scales , some of which are minutely brown-tipped .

the hindwings are whitish ocherous .

adults have been recorded on wing in from june to july .

the larvae feed on a labiate shrub .

they mine the leaves of their host plant .

the mine has the form of a translucent blotch between two main veins at the base of the leaf .

pupation takes place outside of the mine in a brownish ocherous cocoon .

bucculatrix pallidula

bucculatrix transversata is a moth in the bucculatricidae family . it is found in north america , where it has been recorded from california .
bucculatrix pallidula is a moth in the bucculatricidae family . it is found in north america , where it has been recorded from maine and utah . the wingspan is about 5 . 5 mm . the forewings are creamy white , dusted with pale ocherous scales , some of which are minutely brown - tipped . the hindwings are whitish ocherous . adults have been recorded on wing i . . .
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a taxon identifier is composed of name , author , year and attribute , all separated by a blank . these are all extracted from the original publication .
the name is reproduced exactly as proposed in the original publication . the name of a genus is made up of one word and species made up of two words ( genus and species ) separated by a blank .
the author ' s name is made up of a string of letters , with no blanks , and multiple authors ' names are separated by a comma . spelling of author ' s name is based on the original publication . if there are more than three authors , only the names of the first two authors are shown , followed by
, +
and the number of omitted authors .
attribute is enclosed in square brackets . this is rarely needed , but to differentiate homo - identifiers , this will contain the page , line or plate number of original publication .
all diacritic marks , hyphens , and apostrophes are eliminated , thus only the following characters are used : a to z , a to z , 0 to 9 , blank , comma , and opening and closing square brackets . although upper and lower cases are used for the convenience of human recognition , it is not case sensitive .
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encyclo . co . uk , online since 2007 , is a search engine for english meanings and definitions . the website aims to publish all wordlists , big and small , on the internet , making it much easier to find the word you need . follow us on facebook
the wingspan is about 7 mm . the forewings are bright brown , except along the wing margins where the scales are white with black tips . the hindwings are grey . adults have been recorded on wing in july .
the larvae feed on ambrosia psilostachya . they feed on the upper side of the leaf , consuming irregular patches of leaf tissue . the larvae can be found in october . pupation takes place at the end of october .
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curators : konstantin efetov , vasiliy feoktistov , svyatoslav knyazev , evgeny komarov , stan korb , alexander zhakov .
species catalog enables to sort by characteristics such as expansion , flight time , etc . .
underlying maps using digital map data © norfolk online lepidoptera archive - nola™ 2018 . © james wheeler - n o r f o l k m o t h s 2007 - 2018 . data © nola™ 2018


ditrigona sciara is a moth in the drepanidae family .

it was described by wilkinson in 1968 .

it is found in china .

the wingspan is 19.5 mm .

the fore - and hindwings are white , adulterated with yellowish brown , the forewings with the base of the costa brown .

the transverse fasciae are very pale grey , tinged with yellowish grey and there is a poorly marked sub-basal fascia and a broad double antemedial fascia , as well as a simple subterminal fascia .

the hindwings are marked as the forewings .

ditrigona sciara

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to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .
disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .
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* our website is multilingual . some comments have been translated from other languages .
curators : konstantin efetov , vasiliy feoktistov , svyatoslav knyazev , evgeny komarov , stan korb , alexander zhakov .
species catalog enables to sort by characteristics such as expansion , flight time , etc . .
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platyptilia pulverulenta is a moth of the family pterophoridae .

it is found in new zealand .

the wingspan is about 23 mm .

the head is whitish , and the antennae are reddish brown mixed with whitish .

the thorax is reddish brown densely mixed with white , and the abdomen is greyish brown .

the forewings are reddish brown , sprinkled with white .

the hindwings are pale reddish brown .

platyptilia pulverulenta

tagged bible , death , dust , dust to dust , humor , life , moth , moths , platyptilia pulverulenta , poem , poetry , soft wings , too little too late , writing .
this species is also treated by hudson ( at previous reference ) as a synonym of falcatalis ; it differs , however from that species in the same way as does indubitata . it is possible , however , that pulverulenta and indubitata are the same species , in which case pulverulenta has page priority .
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, f . e . s . , assistant entomologist , cawthron institute nelson .
[ read before the nelson institute , 14th september , 1921 ; received by editor , 16th september , 1921 ; issued separately , 12th february , 1923 . ]
near a . cuneata philp . , but distinguished by the dark coloration and the prominent ochreous cilia of the hindwings . tongariro , 5 , 000 ft . , in january . mr . j . g . myers discovered this interesting species . he found several resting during the day on rocks , and many others dead inside the mountain - hut . the types are in the collection of the dominion museum , to which they were presented by mr . myers , and a single paratype is in the collections of mr . myers , the cawthron institute , and the describer .
to dorsum , broadly margined with a pink area posteriorly which is traversed by several indistinct fuscous lines following the contour of the band ; a serrated clear green subterminal line ; termen marked with an almost continuous blackish line : cilia greyish - green barred with black . hindwings white , tinged with pink round termen and dorsum ; numerous irregular fuscous transverse lines , those on the basal half reaching only middle of wing ; a dark discal dot before middle ; an interrupted blackish line round termen , preceded by a greenish shade : cilia whitish - grey obscurely barred with fuscous . hindwings beneath with a prominent blackish spot at ⅓ and a median chain of blackish spots sharply angulated at middle .
near to the bilineolata - paralodes group . the pink suffusion seems to be a good distinguishing character .
a single ♂ taken at rowallan , waiau , in december . holotype in coll . a . philpott .
somewhat resembling t . trapezitis meyr . , but at once distinguished by the shape of the first and second lines .
mount peel , nelson , in december . the unique specimen was given to me many years ago by the late augustus hamilton , and i deferred describing the species in the hope of obtaining further material .
nearest to p . aeolodes meyr . , but without the subterminal white line ; the evenly rounded termen of the second segment of the forewing is also a good distinguishing character .
the unique example was taken at nelson in november , and is now in the collection of the cawthron institute .
somewhat resembling p . falcatalis walk . , but smaller and more brightly coloured . the forewings are narrower and the termen of the first segment is less concave . in the hindwing the prominent median tooth of scales present in falcatalis is absent in ferruginea .
a single example , secured on the mount arthur tableland at an elevation of about 4 , 500 ft . the specimen was taken late in february , on the bank of a small stream in an open place in the forest . holotype ( ♂ ) in coll . cawthron institute .
the acquirement of abundant material from the mount arthur tableland has shown me that the above correction is necessary . the female of emphanes is very variable , and the handsome theatralis is but one of the extreme forms .
♀ 28 mm . head , palpi , and thorax pale purplish - brown tinged with pink . abdomen pale ochreous . legs ochreous . forewings extremely strongly arched basally , slightly sinuate before apex , apex round - pointed , termen sinuate , not oblique , rounded beneath ; ochreous , crossed with
numerous fine waved brownish lines ; costa obscurely margined with silvery metallic scales ; median fascia faintly indicated , running obliquely from costa before middle to before tornus , anterior margin indented beneath costa ; a triangular purplish - brown blotch , thickly strewn with silvery metallic scales , on costa before apex : cilia ochreous , brownish at apex . hindwings whitish , ochreous on apical ⅓ : cilia whitish - ochreous , brownish round apex .
a very fine species . the male is very similar to some forms of t . excessana ( walk . ) , but is easily separated by the different costal contour of the forewing . the female is remarkable for the unusually strong basal arching of the forewing .
mr . g . v . hudson has examples of both sexes taken at routeburn , wakatipu , in february , 1911 . i secured a very fine ♀ on the dun mountain in january , at an elevation of 2 , 500 ft . holotype ( ♀ ) in coll . a . philpott ; allotype ( ♂ ) in coll . g . v . hudson .
eucosma plebeiana ( zell . ) , is . , vol . 10 , p . 721 ; meyr . , proc . linn . soc . n . s . w . , vol . 36 , p . 248 , 1911 .
this species has to be added to the new zealand list , it having been taken in fair numbers at nelson during the past summer and autumn . nearly all the specimens were secured at light , the first example appearing early in december and the species not being over till about the end of may . from mr . d . miller , government entomologist , i learn that the moth has been reared from a larva found feeding on the leaves of eucalyptus . meyrick states that the larva feeds on althaea and lavatera , and was probably introduced into australia with these plants . he adds that the species occurs now in suitable localities throughout a large part of the globe . dr . a . jefferis turner , of adelaide , who kindly determined the species for me , says that it is abundant in australia , and has also occurred in norfolk island . as zeller ' s description is not easy of reference to new zealand students , i submit a brief diagnosis .
♂♀ 15–18 mm . head and thorax dull ochreous . forewing rather elongate , costa evenly but not strongly arched , apex obtuse , termen sinuate , oblique ; grey densely irrorated with fuscous ; basal patch more strongly infuscate , extending on costa to ⅓ and on dorsum to ½ , upper ⅔ of margin oblique ; numerous short outwardly - oblique dark strigulae along costa , longer and transverse near apex ; a triangular dark - fuscous spot on tornus ; in ♀ the upper half of the wing is sometimes suffused with pale ochreous : cilia grey with four or five rows of dark points . hindwings fuscous - grey , in ♂ with an erect tuft of dense hair on and beneath cu 1 at base : cilia grey with a thick dark basal line .
♂♀ 12–15 mm . head , palpi and thorax dark brown . antennae dark brown annulated with yellowish . abdomen dark brown , anal tuft yellowish . legs greyish - ochreous . forewings , costa slightly arched , apex broadly rounded , termen oblique ; dark brown ; markings clear yellow ; a fascia almost touching base , narrow at costa , thence strongly dilated ; a slightly curved , irregular - edged fascia from ¼ costa to ½ dorsum ; a
similar fascia from ½ costa to ¾ dorsum ; a narrower fascia from ⅘ costa , inwardly oblique and nearly or quite joining preceding fascia above tornus ; a broad regular fascia along termen : cilia dark brown . hindwings and cilia dark brown .
belongs to the chrysogramma - compsogramma group , but differs from the former in having five yellow fasciae instead of four , and from the latter in the arrangement of the third and fourth fasciae , which do not form a definite loop as in that species .
otago , in forest ; common from november to february . on the hunter mountains a form occurs in which the fasciae are frequently tinged with orange - reddish . holotype ( ♂ ) , allotype ( ♀ ) , and a series of cotypes in coll . a . philpott .
near t . spartodeta meyr . , but differing in the rosy scale tufts and the sharper angulation of the second line .
mr . g . v . hudson is the discoverer of this pretty species , he having taken a specimen , in rather poor condition , at takaka , nelson . at his desire i am describing the species from a second example , taken by myself on the dun mountain , nelson , at 2 , 000 ft . , in january . i have adopted mr . hudson ' s manuscript specific name . holotype ( ♂ ) in coll . cawthron institute .
♂♀ 13–15 mm . head , palpi , and thorax yellowish - white , darker in female . antennae ochreous , infuscated on apical half . abdomen ochreous - grey . legs whitish - ochreous . forewings elongate , narrow , costa almost straight , apex acute , termen extremely oblique ; yellow ; a thick reddish - brown outwardly - oblique bar from dorsum at ⅓ , not quite reaching costa ; a similar suffused bar from costa at ⅔ to dorsum ; in some examples the area surrounding bars is much irrorated with reddish - brown : cilia pale fuscous tinted with ochreous round apex . hindwings fuscous - grey : cilia slightly paler .
not closely related to any other species of the genus , though having some similarity in general appearance to s . caminora meyr .
dun mountain , nelson , in december and january . the species occurs in the forest from the base of the mountain to 3 , 000 ft . , but it is not common . holotype ( ♀ ) , allotype ( ♂ ) , and two paratypes in coll . cawthron institute .
differs from h . iophanes meyr . in the presence of the white bands and the arrangement of the metallic areas .
dun mountain , nelson , in january , fairly common at 3 , 000 ft . , flying close to the ground beneath leptospermum and other scrubs . holotype ( ♂ ) , allotype ( ♀ ) , and a series of paratypes in coll . cawthron institute .
♀ 38 mm . forewings dull dark brown ; the central stripe is absent or obscured and the white transverse shade is not noticeable . the triple spot at ¼ is present , but the lower one of the group is the largest . an interrupted waved white line runs from beyond apex to ½ dorsum , and there is a series of obscure white marks following this , also a terminal chain of white lunules . the hindwings are pale fuscous .
much smaller than p . jocosa meyr . , its nearest ally , and less ochreous . the antennal pectinations of the male are slightly longer in proportion .
invercargill , in october . holotype ( ♂ ) , allotype ( ♀ ) , and one male paratype in coll . a . philpott . one male paratype in coll . g . v . hudson .
only four or five specimens of this species have so far been recorded , all of which have proved to be males . mr . f . s . oliver has now secured the female , and that sex is so different from the other that i here give a detailed description of it .
mr . oliver took a single example at glenorchy , wakatipu , in december , at an elevation of about 5 , 000 ft . he has since obtained further examples from the same locality .
♀ 6–5 mm . head ochreous , with a dense spreading frontal tuft of long coarse hair . antennae ochreous , with broad blackish bands at base , at ½ , and before apex . thorax ochreous . abdomen fuscous - grey . legs ochreous , tarsi annulated with blackish . forewings rather broad , apex broadly pointed ; ochreous irrorated with dark fuscous ; three or four incomplete black strigae on apical ¼ : cilia ochreous , with a black bar marking apex of wing . hindwings and cilia grey - fuscous .
one of the smaller species , but not closely associated with s . zonodoxa meyr . or s . rosicoma meyr . the bi - coloured antennae and the spreading head - tufts recall s . eodora meyr . , but the markings are entirely different .
three specimens taken by dr . r . j . tillyard at te wairoa waterfall , near lake tarawera , in november . holotype ( ♀ ) and a paratype in coll . cawthron institute .
it may be worth while recording the discovery of the cocoon and pupal skin of this species , there being so little known about the early stages of the members of the genus . on the 9th november , 1921 , a supply of a species of liverwort found growing freely at a spot where several species of sabatinca had been taken was secured , and some breeding - cages fitted up , in the hope of ascertaining whether the plant had any connection with the life - history of the genus . on the 30th december a female s . incongruella emerged in one of these cages , and a careful search resulted in the finding of the cocoon and cast pupal skin . no other emergences took place , but it seems likely that the liverwort is the food - plant of the species , as it is improbable that the moth should have been in the pupal stage at the date when the breeding - cage was prepared .
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zeller , p . c . 1841 ,
[ details not yet found ]
, isis , leipzig , vol . 10
tutt , j . w . 1905 ,
the types of pterophoridae etc
, entomologist ' s record and journal of variation , vol . 17 , pp . 34 - 37
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 15908ddc - 3c68 - 4eb4 - af4e - 02d36c18082f
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 54e4e7d1 - 9885 - 4b9f - 8e74 - a33bd9175189
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . name : 269905
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[ read before the nelson philosophical society , 12th september , 1928 ; received by editor , 25th september , 1928 ; issued separately . 16th november , 1928 . ]
erebia merula hew . , ent . mo . mag . , 12 , 10 ( 1875 ) ; oreina othello fered . , trans . n . z . inst . , 8 , 302 ( 1876 ) .
hewitson . in a paper entitled “observations on a paper read by mr . a . bathgate before the otago institute , 11th january , 1870 , ‘on the lepidoptera of otago’” (
, 4 , 214 ( 1872 ) , fereday writes as follows , “i may also mention a black butterfly found on the bare summits of the snowy mountains . … i believe it to be a species of
. ” these remarks do not constitute anything more than casual mention and the single word “black , ” especially in the absence of a figure , cannot be termed a description . four years later (
n . sp . , ” the alteration in the name originally proposed being accounted for by “pluto” being preoccupied . in the meantime , however , hewitson , the british lepidopterist , had received an example of the species from herman strecker of pennsylvania and had described it as
. for june , 1875 ( p . 10 ) , thus antidating fereday ' s
by nearly a year . in december , 1876 , butler published an article on the butterflies of new zealand in the
, a circumstance which seems to indicate that he regarded the actual describing of the species to date from 1876 ; and it is the date of such description which alone matters . i do not think there is any reading of the
which could be interpreted as validating a specific name supported only by the words “i may also mention a black butterfly . ”
chrysophanus feredayi bates , ent . mo . mag . , 4 , 53 ( 1867 ) ; c . enysii butler , ent . mo . mag . , 13 , 153 ( 1876 ) .
owing apparently to some confusion on the part of a . g . butler the name enysii has been commonly adopted for bates ' s feredayi . at
[ footnote ] * butler gives the year 1874 as the date of hewitson ' s paper ; it should be 1875 .
i found c . feredayi very abundant in a lowlying piece of mixed forest on the shores of lake rotoroa . this was early in january , and the specimens were all in fresh condition .
ectopatria aspera ( walk . ) , cat . , 11 , 601 ( 1857 ) ; e . provida ( walk . cat . , 15 , 1737 ( 1858 ) ; e . canescens ( walk . ) , cat . , . 33 , 757 ( 1865 ) .
it is 70 years since walker described his provida , the specimen being from auckland . seven years later he named another auckland specimen of the same species , canescens . both these names are , however , synonyms of his aspera , an australian species described in 1857 . as far as i am aware , no specimens of aspera have been captured since the auckland examples were secured , but i have now to record the taking of 3 males and 3 females at nelson during the past season . three of these were secured by mr . e . gourlay and the others by myself , the dates of capture ranging from the last week in october to the third week in march .
i am indebted to mr . meyrick for the determination of the species and for full information as to the synonymy . the species has been described and figured by hampson ( cat . lep . phal . b . m . , 4 , 654 , pl . 77 , 27 ) . a brief diagnosis is given below .
♂ ♀ . 36–38 mm . forewings and thorax whitish - grey ; basal , 1st and 2nd lines obscure , waved , interruptedly margined with black ; stigmata margined with black ; claviform elongate , orbicular round or oval , reniform constricted at middle ; two or three black dashes in centre of suterminal area . hindwings in ♂ white with broad fuscous area round apex and termen ; in ♀ wholly fuscous .
the ♂ has a dense truncate tuft of hair on the middle tibia , a character which hampson seems to have overlooked .
aletia mitis ( butl . ) , proc . zool . soc . lond . , 1877 , p . 383 , pl . 42 , 5 ; aletia gourlayi philp . , trans . n . z . inst . , 53 , 337 .
after re - examination of the type of gourlayi ( now in the canterbury museum ) i believe the above correction to be necessary .
in his recent finely illustrated monograph , the butterflies and moths of new zealand , hudson treats this species as a synonym of a . cuneata philp . i am unable at present to accept this emendation , dentata being a smaller and darker insect than cuneata and , indeed , superficially more nearly approaching panda philp . unfortunately , no male of dentata has been available for genitalia examination .
melanchra pictula ( white ) , te ika a maui , pl . 1 , 3 ( 1855 ) ; m . rhodopleura ( meyr . ) , trans . n . z . inst . , 19 , 19 ( 1887 ) ; m . rhodopleura huds . , n . z . m . and b . , p . 19 , pl . 4 , 38 ; m . rhodopleura sunley , trans . n . z . inst . , 43 , 129 ; m . rhodopleura meyr . , trans . n . z . inst . , 44 , 100 ; m . rhodopleura huds . , b . and m . n . z . , p . 63 , pl . 7 , 32 .
m . meyricci ( hamps . ) , ann . and mag . nat . hist . , ( 8 ) , 8 , 421 ( 1911 ) ; m . pictula ( butl . ) nec white , proc . zool . soc . lond . , 1877 , 386 , pl . 42 , 1 ; m . pictula ( meyr . ) nec white , trans . n . z . inst . , 19 , 18 ; m . pictula huds . nec white , n . z . m . and b . , p . 19 , pl . 4 , 37 ; m . pictula ham . nec white , trans . n . z . inst . , 43 , 117 and 119 ; m . pictula meyr . nec white , trans . n . z . inst . , 44 , 100 ; m . pictula huds . nec white , b . and m . n . z . , p . 63 , pl . 7 , 33 .
the synonymy of these two species hinges on which form white ' s figure refers to . there cannot be the least doubt that the figure represents the species without the white reniform and with the wholly fuscous hindwings , that is , the rhodopleura of meyrick . longstaff ( trans . n . z . inst . , 44 , 110 ) indicated the correct nomenclature , but did not refer to the synonymy of the two species , and the majority of new zealand collectors still use the erroneous names .
hudson ( b . and m . n . z . , p . 66 ) treats furtiva as a variety of m . mutans walk . , remarking that “specimens of the female ( of mutans ) from high altitudes are often more silvery than those from the lowlands and this form has been recently described . … under the name of melanchra furtiva . ” it is , however , the male of furtiva which differs most from mutans ; the female is often only separable with difficulty . apart from the ground - colour of the forewings in the males—in mutans dull brown tinged with reddish or ochreous , in furtiva clear pinkish - brown—there are good structural differences in the antennae , furtiva having the ciliations appreciably longer than mutans . the harpes ( valvae ) of the two species are figured in trans . n . z . inst . , 55 , 665 , and it will be seen that here also the structural differences are sufficiently marked .
hudson ( b . and m . n . z . , p . 100 ) considers this to be a variety of h . callichlora butl . the species are certainly much alike superficially and it is not easy to pick out definite distinguishing characters , but when series of each are compared the difference of facies is apparent . the male genitalia , for the most part , exhibit only slight differences , but the shape of the tegumen , as viewed from above , is sufficiently striking ; the absence of a chitinized gnathos in callichlora and the strong basal chitinization of the organ in praerupta is also conclusive for specific separation ( see figs . 1 and 2 ) .
referred by hudson ( b . and m . n . z . , p . 113 ) , with some doubt , to x . cinerearia dbld . examination of the male genitalia shows that the species is more widely separated from cinerearia than from x . semisignata walk . and x . plumbea philp . ( see figs . 3 , 4 , 5 and 6 ) .
originally i described this form as a subspecies of x . helias meyr . , but i am now prepared to admit it to full specific rank .
hudson ( m . and b . n . z . , p . 126 ) has united this with n . brephos walk . , at the same time very accurately pointing out the distinctions between the two forms . the male genitalia , however , show many pronounced differences . the uncus is apically blunt in brephos , sharp in zopyra ; the lobes of the juxta ( cristae ) are quite different in the two species , while the harpes ( see figs . 7 and 8 ) exhibit several distinguishing features .
an excellent figure of this species ( as a var . of d . hectori butl . ) is given by hudson ( b . and m . n . z . , pl . 15 , 20 ) .
both productata and fluminea are subject to considerable variation , but i have not met with any examples which could not be referred to one or the other species without hesitation . the antennal pectinations of fluminea are slightly shorter than those of productata and the male genitalia offer good distinguishing features ( see figs . 9 , 10 , 11 and 12 ) .
homoeosoma farinaria turner , proc . roy . soc . q . ( 1903 ) 128 .
i am indebted to dr . a . jefferis turner for the determination of this species , which has long been confused ( in new zealand ) with h . vagella z . dr . turner informs me that though originally described from tasmania it occurs also in queensland and new south wales . in new zealand the species is not uncommon , though apparently somewhat local . it has been taken in both islands and records extend from invercargill in the south to cambridge in the north . it is seldom found by day , but is a frequent visitor to lighted windows , under which circumstances it occurs from early november to the beginning of may . recently the moth has been bred out freely in the cawthron insect laboratory from larvae found feeding on the ragwort ( senecio jacobaea ) at cambridge , n . i . the true vagella z . , which is a smaller and more obscure insect , is comparatively rare , though it has been known to occur in new zealand for about 30 years .
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i propose the above name for p . ferruginea philp . ( trans . n . z . inst . , 54 , 150 ) preoccupied by ferruginea walshingham trans . ent . soc . lond . , 1897 , p . 35 ) . hudson ( b . and m . n . z . , p . 207 ) considers indubitata to be a synonym of falcatalis walk . , but apart from coloration , the species are easily distinguished by structural characters . in falcatalis there is always a prominent tooth of black scales in the fringes of the forewings at 2 / 3 and a similar patch in the hindwings just beyond the middle ; these scale - patches are not present in indubitata .
epichorista fraudulenta ( philp . ) , trans . n . z . inst . , 58 , 363 . originally described as an eurythecta .
considered by hudson ( b . and m . n . z . , p . 238 ) to be a synonym of e , emphanes meyr . reference to the figures of the male genitalia ( trans . n . z . inst . , 55 , 665 ) will show markedly different structural peculiarities .
tortrix incendiaria ( meyr . ) , trans . n . z . inst . , 54 , 164 .
as intimated in “the male genitalia of the new zealand tortricidae” ( published elsewhere in this volume ) i propose the removal of this species from ecclitica to tortrix .
♂ . 26–29 mm . superficially extremely like g . siraea meyr . , but a larger and less bright insect . the yellow median stripe of the forewings is not so bright as in siraea and tends to be more suffused , not infrequently occupying nearly all the lower half of the wing . the fringes of the hindwings are usually yellowish tinged , not white as in siraea .
♀ . 29–32 mm . forewings pale yellow sprinkled with fuscous , the venation clearly marked in a paler tint . hindwings white , dusted with grey except apically .
hunter mountains . abundant at about 4 , 000 feet in december and january . for figures of the male genitalia see an article in this volume dealing with the new zealand tortricidae . holotype ( ♂ ) , allotype ( ♀ ) and a series of paratypes in coll . cawthron institute .
ecclitica torogramma ( meyr . ) , trans . ent . soc . lond . , 1897 , 388 .
reference to an article on the male genitalia of the tortricidae , to be found elsewhere in this volume , will show that i have thought it necessary to transfer this species from tortrix to its present position .
antennae in male minutely ciliated . palpi moderate , second segment thickened with scales above and beneath , terminal segment short . thorax without crest . forewings , in male with costal fold ; smooth ; termen very oblique ; 3 , 4 , 5 equidistant at origin , 11 from before middle of cell , 10 much nearer 9 than 11 ( in trimaculata only slightly ) . hindwings with 7 veins , 5 absent , 6 and 7 approximated towards base , cubital pecten very slight . male genitalia with harpes
large , neck incurvation strong , spines absent or very small ; uncus feeble , simple or bifid ; socii plate - like ; gnathos absent ; aedeagus rather small , nearly straight , apex scoop - shaped .
the last - named species does not well agree with the others generically and it may yet have to be separated therefrom .
a species treated by hudson ( b . and m . n . z . , p . 261 ) as a synonym of b . compsogramma meyr . there can , however , be no doubt as to the distinctness of the two , the male genitalia being widely different ( see figs . , trans . n . z . inst . , 56 , xanthodesma p . 409 , compsogramma p . 410 ) .
under this species hudson includes , with a query , b . sabulosa philp . and b . terrena philp . there is little doubt as to the validity of terrena ( compare genitalia figures of terrena , ( trans . n . z . inst . , 56 , 392 ) with those of melanamma ( ib . 56 , 412 ) . in the case of sabulosa no examination of the genitalia has been made , but the species is superficially unlike melanamma .
♂ . 17–19 mm . head and thorax clear yellow . palpi yellow , second segment mixed with fuscous without . antennae greyish - fuscous , ciliations in ♂ ½ . abdomen greyish - white , and tuft ochreous . legs ochreous - white , anterior pair strongly infuscated . forewings clongate , costa well arched , apex rounded , termen obliquely rounded ; clear yellow ; costa at base narrowly edged with brown ; fringes concolorous with wing . hindwings and fringes whitish - grey .
superficially hardly separable from b . enodis philp . , though the costa is rather more arched and the apex more rounded . the male genitalia , fortunately , offer good differentiating characters , the shape of the uncus being , as far as i am aware , unique among new zealand members of the genus ( see figs . 13 and 14 of this article for sinuosa and trans . n . z . inst . , 58 , 85 , fig . 3 , for enodis .
wellington , in december . two males taken in the botanical gardens . holotype ( ♂ ) , paratype and a slide of male genitalia in coll . cawthron institute .
♂ . 13–14 mm . head fuscous , neck ochreous . palpi fuscous , second segment mixed with ochreous . antennae fuscous , ciliations
in ♂ 2 . thorax bronzy - fuscous . abdomen leaden - fuscous , bronzy - fuscous dorsally . legs leaden - fuscous mixed with ochreous , tarsi obscurely annulated with ochreous . forewings moderate , costa moderately arched , apex obtuse , termen oblique ; brownish - fuscous ; costal edge ochreous ; stigmata obscure or absent , plical at about ½ : fringes concolorous with wing . hindwing fuscous , fringes paler .
a darker species than vagata meyr . and at once distinguished by the shorter antennal pectinations .
one male taken at lake rotoroa about the middle of january and two others secured on mount cedric at an elevation of 4 , 000 ft . holotype ( ♂ ) , paratypes and a slide of male genitalia in coll . cawthron institute .
differs structurally from p . steropucha meyr . in the unindented termen of the forewing and from p . quaestuosa meyr . in the much more extensive thickening of the antennae .
mount arthur tableland , early in november . a single male taken at about 4 , 500 ft . holotype in coll . cawthron institute .
considered by hudson ( b . and m . n . z . , p . 341 ) to be identical with a . terranea butl . the resemblance between the two is fairly close , but the male genitalia disprove specific identity ( see figs . trans . n . z . inst . , 58 , 94 ) .
♂ . 20 mm . head and palpi tawny . antennae brown mixed with ochreous , ciliations in ♂ 2 . thorax and abdomen purplish - brown . legs purplish - brown mixed with ochreous , tibiae and tarsi annulated with ochreous . forewings elongate , narrow , costa moder -
ately arched , apex rounded , termen strongly oblique ; ochreous ; strigulated throughout with dark purplish - fuscous ; a blotch of purplish - fuscous on costa at middle and a similar one on dorsum beneath ; fringes fuscous - grey . hindwings dark fuscous ; fringes fuscous - grey , paler apically .
the largest of the genus yet described . the long but narrow wings sufficiently separate it from any other species .
a single male taken in november at about 3 , 000 ft . on the mount arthur tableland track . holotype in coll . cawthron institute .
this species is considered by hudson ( b . and m . n . z . , 352 ) to be synonymous with m . crataea meyr . the members of the genus are often superficially much alike , but in the case under consideration there exist good genitalia characters for differentiation ( see figs . , trans . n . z . inst . , crataea , p . 98 , strigulata , p . 100 ) . m . fenwicki philp . ( ib . 55 , 214 ) is also treated by hudson ( same reference ) as equal to crataea , but in this instance material for dissection has not been available . i should , however , consider this form to be more nearly related to m . homalopa meyr . than to crataea .
this species is treated by hudson ( b . and m . n . z . , p . 367 ) as a synonym of m . hamadelpha meyr . , but as noted in the original description of similis , there are good differentiating characters in the male genitalia . the colour and markings of the two forms , though similar , are by no means identical . the basal fuscous stripe on the costa of the forewing is apically pointed in hamadelpha , but blunt or suffused in similis ; also , the thorax is ochreous in similis , white in hamadelpha . for figures of the genitalia see trans . n . z . inst . , 55 , 666 and ib . 57 , 714 , pl . 57 , 22 and 23 . it is possible , however , that similis philp . may really be hamadelpha meyr . which would leave the insect usually regarded as that species without a name . steps will be taken to ascertain the position .