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Argyrophenga janitae



Argyrophenga janitae,known by its common name Janita's Tussock Butterfly, is a Lepidoptera of the family Nymphalidae, in the genus Argyrophenga. It has only been recorded in New Zealand's South Island.

Description
Argyrophenga janitae is a yellow and brow, medium size butterfly with a wing span of between 31-45mm. Each of the four wings has a large orange spot with two small white spots, while the rear wings have 4 black spots (the outer spots being smaller than the inner spots), each with one white spot .The underside of the of each wing is identical with added silver white lines resembling veins There is no obvious sexual dimorphism however the females abdomen length tends to be slightly longer and more sender compared to that of the males. Males may occasionally have a yellow-orange streak in the discal cell of the forewing, however it has been seen it seldom few females. The wing colour of A. janitae is thought to be influenced by altitude – with increasing altitude the lower half of the wing becomes greyer, and the patch colour, paler.

Distribution
- A. janitae has a widespread distribution ranging from Nelson and Marlborough, through Canterbury to North Otago

Habitat preferences
- A. janitae has been known to prefer higher altitude areas in alpine, and sub alpine environments. It has been recorded at between 900m-1800m, however not below or above these figures. It is found to be abundant in chionochloa grassland or where snow-tussock is the dominant vegetation.

Life cycle/Phenology
- While there is not much research into the phenology of A. janitae, it is suspected the lifecycle is one year and may be longer in sub-alpine areas where it is suspected 2 or more winters may pass before they emerge, however this has not be accurately determined. A single egg is laid at a time and have been recorded on poa, festuca, agropyron and chionochloa. They have also been recorded dropping eggs midflight when environmental conditions and availability of tussock isn’t sufficient - Larva are dark green shade with two pale yellow dorsal stripes that continue up to the head horns. They reach reach maturity at approximately 30mm and are relatively inactive with most of their feeding taking place at night. Prior to pupation, the larva will spend 2-4 days head down, attached to a silk pad – unlike many other species which hang free. It has been noted that larvae of this species will survive in captivity, lay eggs in the dark and also mate successfully in small cages (provided there is room to fly) – all of which are uncommon for a butterfly, but proves a useful tool as being able to be partially domesticated aids in being used for future biological studies. The pupa are either pale green or yellow and are generally suspended from a leaf in the heart of a tussock plant. It has been recorded that at this stage, the distinguishing characteristic is the prominent forked shaped head – however there is no reliable way of distinguishing the pupa of the other three species of Argyrophenga. Duration of the pupa stage is between 12 days (in warmer climates) to 18 days (colder climates). A. janitae migrate to warmer areas from mid-November to mid-April, they then mate and will produce offspring.

Diet and foraging
-The only recorded foodplant of A. janitae are snow-tussocks of the Chionochloa species

Predators, Parasites, and Diseases
- While there are no recorded predators or diseases of A. janitae, a species of red mites Momorangia vallate has been detected on the thorax of individual adult butterflies in subalpine area. These mites have also been detected on alpine cicadas and other insects