Mnesictena flavidalis is a moth in the family Crambidae.[3][4] It was described by Edward Doubleday in 1843.[5] It is endemic to New Zealand.[6]
| Mnesictena flavidalis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Female | |
 | |
| Male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Crambidae |
| Subfamily: | Spilomelinae |
| Tribe: | Udeini |
| Genus: | Mnesictena |
| Species: | M. flavidalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Mnesictena flavidalis (Doubleday, 1843) | |
| Synonyms[1][2] | |
| |
Taxonomy
This species was first described by Edward Doubleday in Ernst Dieffenbach's book Travels in New Zealand: with contributions to the geography, geology, botany and natural history of the country and named Margaritia flavidalis.[5] In 1899 Hampson placed this species in the genus Mnesictena.[7] In 1983 G. E. Munroe synonymised the genus Mnesictena with Udea.[8] However in 1988 John S. Dugdale treated Mnesictena as a valid genus.[2] Dugdale's treatment was followed in 2011 by Richard Mally and Matthias Nuss.[1] The male holotype specimen, collected in Auckland by A. Sinclair, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[2]
Description
Doubleday described this species as follows:
All the wings ochraceous, the outer margins with a series of minute dots. Anterior wings with a faint striga near the base, a still fainter one near the middle, and a more distinct much-waved one near the outer margin, and two discoidal stigmatiform spots fuscous. Posterior wings with a discoidal spot, preceded towards the anterior margin by a smaller one, a transverse striga beyond the middle, and the anal angle fuscous.[5]
References
