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AbstractArtona (Balataea) martini Efetov 1997, a zygaenid

moth recorded from Japan, China, Taiwan andVietnam, was collected from seven locations, onbamboo, within the Whangarei district from March1996 to April 1998. The moth has spread from theoriginal site and is now found at distances of up to10 km away. High numbers of the larvae may bepresent on host plants, Bambusa multiplex (Lour.),

Shibataea kumasasa (Zoll.) Makino, Pleiobastus viridis-triatus, Phyllostachys nigra (Lodd.) Munro, and Miscanthus sinensisAndersson. The larvae have notyet been recorded from Bambusa oldhamii Munro,the most common bamboo species that is used asshelter in the local area. Urticating hairs on the lar-vae have produced skin irritation in some humanson contact. Adult moths have been observed matingon bamboo. Heavy infestations of the caterpillars atseveral sites in Whangarei during February 1999indicate the species is now established in New

Zealand.Keywords: Lepidoptera, Zygaenidae, Artona

martini, New Zealand.

IntroductionArtona (Balataea) martini (Efetov 1997) is the most

common bamboo feeding zygaenid species in east-ern China and Japan. The larvae can occur in highnumbers on host plants where they eat the leaves,though the insect can become rare between out-breaks (Yen et al. 1996). In Taiwan, the species is

recorded as having two to three generations peryear and a flight period of 5 months from late Aprilto early October (Efetov 1997).The Zygaenidae areabsent from the native New Zealand fauna (Dugdale1988), so the establishment of the bamboo moth rep-resents the first New Zealand record of the family.

A. martiniin New ZealandSeveral caterpillars were collected from bamboo

( Bambusa multiplex (Lour.)) hedges on propertiesadjacent to the Hatea River, Whangarei (3532S;

17419E) during March 1996. Three larvae wereinitially reared through to adult (1 male, 2 female)

with emergence occurring within 4 weeks.Additional specimens were also sent to the NewZealand Forest Research Institute for rearing andidentification. On 27 March 1998, specimens werecollected at the property of J. Uffindell in Kamofrom the ornamental bamboo species Shibataeakumasasa (Zoll.) and Pleiobastus viridistriatus, andcaterpillars were also observed on Eulalia( Miscanthus sinensisAndersson var. Morning Light).

The caterpillars were present at a density of approx-imately 1 caterpillar per 2 leaves and had consumedabout 25% of the foliage of the bamboo species.Considerably lower numbers were observed on theM. sinensis. A dense litter of light green frass sur-rounded the base of the bamboo. Large numbers ofcaterpillars were observed at the properties of B.Blackwell, and K. & H. Mead, Mt. Parahaki on the18 March and 7 April 1998 respectively. A lightinfestation of the caterpillars was observed onPhyllostachys nigra (Lodd.) Munro at the authors

property in Maunu on 2 April 1998. Caterpillarswere also recorded climbing the walls of a housenext to a bamboo hedge at Tikipunga on 8 April1998.

Adult moths were observed on the side of theauthors house on 15 October 1998, and two mothswere observed mating on 17 October 1998 on S.kumasasa at Kamo. The moths dropped to theground when disturbed rather than flying. Severalmoths were observed at Kamo during late Februaryand early March 2000.

On 21 February 1999, large numbers of caterpil-lars (up to 20 per leaf) were observed on S. kumasasaat the Uffindell property.Approximately 80% of thecaterpillars were first instar with the remainderbeing second instar. On 23 February 1999 a bam-boo (B. multiplex) hedge approximately 3km fromthe original site was severely damaged by a heavyinfestation ofA. martini. Approximately 80% of a19m long by 4m high hedge had been defoliated andthousands of the caterpillars were found both in thehedge and crawling up a nearby house and swim-

ming pool fence in the suburb of Morningside.

A first record ofArtona (Balataea) martini(Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae)

for New Zealand.G. S. C. GillHortResearch, Whangarei Research Centre, Private Bag 9003, Whangarei, New Zealand.

gsgill@hort.cri.nz

New Zealand Entomologist 23: 3335 (December 2000)

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DescriptionYen et al. (1996) describe the life history ofA.

martini under the name A. funeralis (Butler) inTaiwan, but little is known of the moths biologyand life history in New Zealand.

AdultsMale and female moths are up to 10.5mm in

length, and similar in general appearance (Fig. 1),the female being slightly larger than the male, withshorter pectination on the antennae.The antennae,head, legs, and abdomen are black with a bluesheen. The wings are black, and the forewings havea grey fringe. The central part of the hind-wing istransparent. Adult A. martini can be distinguishedfrom a superficially similar arctiid Antichloris viridis

Druce by the absence of a vivid white ventralabdominal base (J. Dugdale, pers. comm.) .

LarvaeFirst instar larvae are very pale and cluster

together on the under-sides of leaves. The laterinstars are bright yellow with four black verrucaeon each segment, and are very conspicuous on thegreen foliage of the bamboo. The verrucae, in addi-tion to the short black setae, contain several longwhite setae. The anterior and posterior segments

are a brighter yellow than the other segments whichhave a greyish hue (Fig. 2). A brown stripe runs lat-erally along each side of the body. Length fullygrown is ca. 25mm.

PupaePupation occurs on the leaves of the host plant,

and possibly on nearby structures such as buildingsand fences. A papery brown cocoon of approxi-mately 10mm length is constructed of spun silk andmany of the larval setae are incorporated into the

exterior of the cocoon.The cocoon ofAn. viridis issimilar but grey-white.

DiscussionThe method of arrival ofA. martini is unknown,

though the discovery of a cocoon in an importedJapanese vehicle in Tauranga (W. Faulds, pers.comm.) indicates a possible mode of entry into NewZealand. Ships frequently visit Whangarei from sev-eral Asian countries, as it is an important forestryport. In addition, Whangarei is also a port of entry

for a large number of overseas yachts. A. martini wasfirst observed feeding on bamboo at a single loca-

tion in Whangarei in March 1996. The spread of the

moth within two years from its original site to fourfurther sites at distances of up to 10 km indicatesthat the moth can disperse efficiently. It is expectedthat the bamboo moth will eventually spreadthroughout New Zealand wherever the host plant isgrown.

Often the first sign of the larvae is a dense mat offrass beneath the host plant, and in spiders webs onthe host plant. Yellowing of the leaves occur as thefirst instars eat the surface of the bamboo leaves andproduce small windows in the mesophyll. In later

instars caterpillar feeding activity severely notchesthe leaves. Entire stems of bamboo have been defo-liated in short periods of time, and immature leavesare also consumed. The larvae are usually found onthe underside of leaves, and are sometimes difficultto detect until they begin descending from thefoliage by means of silken threads, disperse from thehost plant in large numbers on to neighbouringbuildings, or damage becomes so extensive that thecaterpillars are detected.

Neither parasitism nor predation of the caterpil-

lars was observed at any of the sites examined. Overlate summer 1999 the caterpillars inflicted consid-

New Zealand Entomologist 23: 3335 (December 2000)

Figs 1, 2 Artona martini. 1, adult female; 2,larva.

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erable damage to several stands of bamboo inWhangarei. Control of the caterpillars wasattempted at one site by the use of carbaryl, andwhile significant numbers of the larvae were killed,it was apparent that complete coverage of the bam-

boo was very difficult and many live caterpillarswere still present.

The public should be warned against touchingthese caterpillars.The larvae possess urticating hairsthat can produce a burning sensation to the humanskin. Overseas, many lepidopteran larvae of severalfamilies use this defence mechanism, e.g.,Ochrogaster contraria (Walker), Thaumetopoeidae(Common 1970, p. 859), but this trait is unknownin larvae of indigenous New Zealand Lepidoptera .

The heaviest infestations observed have been on

the ornamental bamboo varieties such as Shibataeaand Pleiobastus spp. The economic significance A.martini is likely to be confined to the ornamentalbamboo species, though as numbers increase thecaterpillars may infest other bamboo species includ-ing those used as shelter plants around orchards.While no populations have been observed onB. old-hamii in the field, we have successfully reared A.martini on this species in the laboratory.

Acknowledgments

I wish to thank Dr Gerhard Tarmann of the TirolerLandesmuseum Ferdinandeum Naturwissenschaft-liche Sammlungen, Austria for the identification ofA. martini, and Mr William Faulds of Forest ResearchLtd., Rotorua, for his assistance with the identifica-tion ofA. martini and production of this paper.

ReferencesCommon IFB. 1970. Lepidoptera. In: The Insects of

Australia pp. 765-866. Melbourne University Press,

Carlton,Victoria, Australia.

Dugdale JS. 1988. Lepidoptera annotated catalogue,and keys to family-group taxa. Fauna of New Zealand 14

Efetov KA. 1997. Two new species of the genusArtona

Walker, 1854 (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae, Procridinae).

Entomologists Gazette 48: 165-177.

Yen S-H, Jean J-L,Yang P-S. 1996. On twoArtona

species from Taiwan (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae,

Procridinae). Entomologists Gazette 47: 99-108.

Gill: Establishment of zygaenid moth