Can anyone help me solve this wee puzzle? Unusual warm spell across the lower South Island. First moth seen at home in a long time due to the cold, frosty winter nights.
sooty beech mould associate tinea
This guy again: https://inaturalist.nz/observations/141865635
Apparently confused under Tinea accusatrix even though it looks nothing like the 'real' one.
A bonus rarity walking back to Titirangi in the rain! Very nice. Hovering above the path, and then I think disoriented by either my headtorch or the LepiLED on UV mode, and landed. When flying I though it was giant pseudocoremia.
Pretty sure I came across a second one not too much further along, but couldn't catch it to make sure.
Unrelated, but there was also something just a bit further along like a tiny, orange, incredibly fast noctuid, which was clearly attracted to light, but I couldn't even follow it. I was trying to catch it for a couple of minutes before I lost track of it.
Feeding on herbfield plants
Another interesting moth from the misty-frosty-haul10+kg of stuff for no mothy night.
Found on a Mountain Toatoa.
Looks a bit like the Hudson painting of Heterocrossa maculosa, or Paramorpha, but in comparison to existing Paramorpha observations doesn't seem to match pattern of black dots, definitely doesn't have an orange leading edge of the wing, and more silver mottled with grey scales.
ended up accidentally walking all the way to the top of Mt. Holdsworth in pursuit of somewhere sheltered from the strong northwesterlies. This was the only place I could find.
I regret not setting up a light in the forest near the hut like last time, since I did have multiple lights with me.
Not quite sure. Very palid, and a wide acute zig-zag at the end.
I'm aware of @dr_robert 's comment in this observation https://inaturalist.nz/observations/38662394 that it's only known with certainty from the Tararua Range, but it matches the Landcare photo better than any other option: https://oldwww.landcareresearch.co.nz/__data/assets/image/0007/98323/Scoparia_lynchnophanes.jpg.
I also stared a lot at Scoparia encopna, but this has too many white scales and that has no evidence of the orange lines in the terminal area.
although grossly disappointed I didn't see any Campbell Island Jumping Moths, at least these guys were all over the place tonguing the megaherbs
Straight from camera upload, will add more later. Kinda amazing.
I note @Jacobl 's comments about rainy weather (https://inaturalist.nz/observations/145884180) - this was on an amazing warm humid night, followed by torrential rain starting a few hours later (and there's a red warning for 600-800mm rain coming shortly!)
Unusual 'white' Gadira acerella. Not seen like that before.
World's sleepiest spider?
I've been staring at type photos, Larger Moths, and Hudson paintings.
The closest thing seems to be Eudonia periphanes....if all the details were to varying degrees wrong....wrong, like the colour (this is black and cream, without the brown), the cream lines at the shoulder are straight and pronounced (as opposed to barely there), the two spots at 2/3rds are extremely pronounced with a black margin (as opposed to non-existent to subtle), the cream line at 1/3 is on a notable sharper angle, etc.
It seems this is considered a morph of Eudonia periphanes as @ryan_nz has one: https://inaturalist.nz/observations/100926477 @nhudson @dr_robert
Native Podocarp-broadleaved forest. At night.
Taunton Terrace Reserve, Blockhouse Bay, Auckland 0600.
In native bush.
Titirangi, Auckland.
On Schefflera digitata, at the waterfall site on Zigzag Track, in Atkinson Park.
Tricky, but I thought it matched the description. Host is Carmichaelia, as it is for Samana acutata which was recorded at the same location. A night mothing up on the Wye Creek track overlooking mixed forest and shrubland.
I couldn't resist posting this one today before I head off again for a bit. My first encounter with Streaked Alpine Owlet (Nivetica nervosa). A stunning noctuid moth endemic to Te Waipounamu / South Island, Aotearoa. Found in wetland habitats in the subalpine and alpine zone of the South Island. This one (and two others) recorded early on the evening of the 29th November in the Southern Hawkdun Range, Oteake Conservation Park at about 800 metres a.s.l. Cloudy, mild, low wind. Great conditions
Male Thambotricha Vates, Epermeniidae - Sitting on fern
can't find any Stathmopodidae including type photos and Hudson paintings which do it for me.
Auckland CBD.
Resting by day on Pyrrosia eleagnifolia, growing epiphytically on a Cotoneaster tree, on the city campus of the University of Auckland, by Maclaurin Chapel.
Resting on tree trunk, ferns (hen and chick type.. I think) immediately below.
Quite a small moth, probably 6-8 mm long. Maybe Ecclitica or Apoctena? @nhudson @dr_robert
Taunton Terrace Reserve, Blockhouse Bay, Auckland.
Coastal scrub, near the edge of the coastal cliffs.
Native Podocarp-broadleaved forest (remnant)
Images 1, 2, 3, and 5 are focus stacked.
Native Podocarp-broadleaved forest (remnant), attracted to lights
at night.
Day flying. Evening and night at Chapman salty reserve, Alexandra. Nice cloudy, mild night. Heaps of activity.
Native Podocarp-broadleaved forest, at night.
X marks the spot! The highlight of the night was seeing this beautiful moth arrive 2.5 hours after the lights were turned on (lights on at 6 pm, moth arrived at about 8:30 pm). I didn't know they would be at this site and wasn't expecting them to be out at this time of year either. There must be some Streblus heterophyllus in the bush. Several photos of the moth and a few of my setup and the view at the end. Great spot! Yay!!! That is Meterana species number 22 for me (incl. the undescribed 'Urtica' one).
Up to the North Island for work and a holiday / herp trip. My first time mothing in the North Island! I would have loved to have more time, it be summer, and have weather that was less wild, rainy, and windy! Nonetheless, I did what I could in between lizards, frogs, wind, and rain and got a few nice North Island only species.
Looks like Orocrambus mylites, but I think that species is only known from upper South Island. Maybe a strange Orocrambus corruptus?
Appeared to be flightless.
Not far from these other white flightless moths:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/151999769
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/152040316
Appeared to be flightless.
Not far from these other white flightless moths:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/152040320
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/152040316
Found inside light trap
Pattern matches very well! I ruled out Hydriomena based on pectinations and the pattern doesn't match with Austrocidaria cedrinodes. Discovered at Eweburn Stream, Ida Range which is not too far from here. Also @butterfly4 has records from further downstream along the Manuherikia River.
Mothing adventure with kids in tow. East Branch Manuherikia River about 860 metres a.s.l. Olearia bullata, Olearia odorata, and mixed sub-alpine shrubland, wetland, and tussock grassland.
Native Podocarp-broadleaved forest.
Attracted to light, which I placed on a boulder by the river at night. Observed one or two individuals.
the one moth I managed to get photos of in high winds up top, but at least it's a good one! The lighting makes it look exactly like the type image
Another night of Fiordland moths. One more to go after this. I did a lot of mothing there this January whilst in the area working on Awakopaka skink, but I won't be back to Fiordland until March. It will be interesting to see the change in species composition between January and March.
Another night of Fiordland moths. One more to go after this. I did a lot of mothing there this January whilst in the area working on Awakopaka skink, but I won't be back to Fiordland until March. It will be interesting to see the change in species composition between January and March.
Kiosk Creek, Fiordland National Park. Mothing with @possums_end
Night 3 of 3 Fiordland mothing with @Carey-Knox-Southern-Scales. Remote alpine valley at about 1000m, above an alpine lake surrounded by shrubland, below scree, rockfields and rock walls.
now what the heck is this...First thought was elachista, eg these guys: https://inaturalist.nz/observations/66820942 but this was a bit bigger and obviously the pattern is different. @dr_robert @nhudson
Throwing a few down before I go bush again
Night 1 of 3 mothing in Fiordland National Park with @Carey-Knox-Southern-Scales. Campsite on Milford Road in a clearing next to beech forest. Drawn to light.
Night 1 of 3 mothing in Fiordland National Park with @Carey-Knox-Southern-Scales. Campsite on Milford Road in a clearing next to beech forest. Drawn to light.
A couple of House Sparrows used our deck as a dining table for dismantling & eating Cicadas. Maybe an hours worth of feeding resulting in a pile of wings of which this is a small sample. I'm surprised the Sparrows could fly off at the end.
Floral arrangement by me - not the Sparrows
To finish off 2022... I think I may have found another site for Izatha psychra... Same catchment as the November record, but further up. (2.8 km straight line distance from the previous site Shaun and I found). @ 900 metres a.s.l. Must be a good population of them! Looks very much like the animal on the Wikipedia page. I have collected both of these individuals and have them safely stored at home. Will send up for examination if requested. Happy New Year! Nov record: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/140856391
Good night of mothing with @possums_end on top of Dickson's Hill. Usually a very windy spot, it was very calm and mild. Delighted with 10 new species for me in this upload (barring any incorrect IDs): Coleophora mayrella, Epichorista hemionana, Epiphryne verriculata (finally!!! ha ha), Glyphipterix triselena, Gymnobathra omphalota, Heterocrossa contactella, Pseudocoremia lupinata, Pseudocoremia pergrata, Pyrgotis eudorana, and the stinging nettle undescribed Meterana sp.
Attracted to lights at night.