Wiseana

Wiseana
Wiseana cervinata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hepialidae
Genus: Wiseana
Viette, 1961
Species

See text.

Synonyms
  • Porina Walker, 1856 (nec d'Orbigny, 1852)
  • Gorina Quail, 1899
  • Goryna Quail, 1899
  • Philpottia Viette, 1950

Wiseana is a genus of ghost moths, collectively known as porina,[1] of the family Hepialidae. There are seven described species, all endemic to New Zealand.[2] Some species of this genus are a major pest in New Zealand exotic pastures.[1][3] It is impossible to distinguish species at the larval/caterpillar stage without DNA technology, however adult porina moth species can be visually distinguished.[3]

The genus was first identified by Pierre Viette in 1961, who recognised a distinction between the New Zealand members of the genus Oxycanus and those occurring in Australia and New Guinea.[4]

  1. ^ a b Atijegbe, Sylvester Richard (2019). Niche differentiation within the Wiseana (porina) species complex: pasture pests of New Zealand (PhD thesis). Lincoln University. hdl:10182/10894.
  2. ^ Grehan, J.R.; Mielke, C.G.C.; Turner, J.R.G.; Nielsen, S.E. (2023). "A revised world catalogue of ghost moths (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae), with taxonomic and biological annotations". ZooNova. 27: 1–313.
  3. ^ a b "AgPest » Porina". Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  4. ^ Viette, P.E.L. (1961). "Notes on some synonyms or preoccupied names in the Lepidoptera". The Entomologist. 94: 38–39. ISSN 0013-8878. Wikidata Q127586923.