Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Aug 5, 2026

Protithona potamias

Protithona potamias is a species of moth in the family Tineidae and was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1909. This species is endemic to New Zealand.

Last revised
Aug 5, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
367 w
Citations
12
Source
Protithona potamias
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Tortricidae
Genus: Protithona
Species:
P. potamias
Binomial name
Protithona potamias
(Meyrick, 1909)1
Synonyms2
  • Eurythecta potamias Meyrick, 1909
  • Raumatia potamias (Meyrick, 1909)
  • Eucosma potamias (Meyrick, 1909)

Protithona potamias is a species of moth in the family Tineidae and was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1909.1 This species is endemic to New Zealand.3

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1909 and originally named Eurythecta potamias.42 George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under this name in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.5 Hudson, in 1939, subsequently placed this species in the genus Eucosma.6 The male lectotype specimen, collected at Riverton / Aparima by Alfred Philpott, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.2

Habitat and hosts

This species likely inhabits salt-tolerant grasses found amongst sandhills.25 Larvae of this species inhabit the riparian zone and is likely hosted by species of grass. They pupate amongst grasses.7

References

References

  1. Gordon, Dennis P., ed. (2010). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: Kingdom animalia: chaetognatha, ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Vol. 2. p. 464. ISBN 978-1-877257-93-3. LCCN 2011379669. OCLC 973607714. OL 25288394M. Wikidata Q45922947.
  2. Dugdale , J. S. (23 September 1988). "Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa". Fauna of New Zealand. 14. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research: 116. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.14. ISSN 0111-5383. Wikidata Q45083134.
  3. "Protithona potamias (Meyrick, 1909)". www.nzor.org.nz. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
  4. Edward Meyrick (1909), Notes and descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera, vol. 41, pp. 11–12, Wikidata Q110207561 BHL page 3312290 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. Hudson, G. V. (1928), The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, pp. 224–225, LCCN 88133764, OCLC 25449322, Wikidata Q58593286 BHL page 61899835 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. Hudson, G. V. (1939), A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand, Illustrator: George Hudson, Wellington: Ferguson and Osborn Limited, p. 437, OCLC 9742724, Wikidata Q109420935
  7. Charles, J. G.; Dugdale, J. S. (February 2011). "Non-target species selection for host-range testing of Mastrus ridens". New Zealand Entomologist. 34 (1): 45–51. doi:10.1080/00779962.2011.9722208. ISSN 0077-9962. Wikidata Q54666011.