''Izatha peroneanella'', also known as the small lichen moth or the green lichen tuft, is a

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

of the family

Oecophoridae Oecophoridae (concealer moths) is a family of small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. The phylogeny and systematics of gelechoid moths are still not fully resolved, and the circumscription of the Oecophoridae is strongly affected by this. ...

. It is endemic to

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, where it is found throughout the

North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...

, other than the Aupouri Peninsula of Northland.

Description

The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the opposite wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingsp ...

is 15–24.5 mm for males and 17–29.5 mm for females. This moth has pale green forewings with patches of raised black scales that camouflage it well when it rests on lichens. The colouration of this moth is variable with the pale green forewings sometimes being white while in another form the black tufts are coloured brown.

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is found in the North Island with the exception of the Aupouri Peninsula.

Biology and behaviour

Larvae of this species grow to approximately 16mm long and pupate in early November within its tunnel. There is one generation per year. Adults are on wing from September to early April. They are attracted to light.

Habitat and host species

This species is commonly found near native forest. Larvae have been recorded feeding on the dead wood of a variety of angiosperm species. They bore tunnels into the wood. The larvae usually prefer standing dead trees rather than wood found on the forest floor. Larvae have been reared from ''

Alseuosmia ''Alseuosmia'' is a genus of five species of flowering plants in the family Alseuosmiaceae, growing in New Zealand's North Island. Species members are characteristically small evergreen shrubs. An example occurrence of species representative '' ...

'' species, ''

Carpodetus serratus ''Carpodetus serratus'' is an evergreen tree with small ovate or round, mottled leaves with a toothy margin, and young twigs grow zig-zag, and fragrant white flowers in 5 cm panicles and later black chewy berries. It is an endemic of New Zea ...

'', '' Coprosma grandifolia'', ''

Coriaria arborea ''Coriaria arborea'' is a highly poisonous and common native shrub or small tree of New Zealand. The common name for the plant is tree tutu'', and it is one of the New Zealand species of ''Coriaria'' known by the name tutu. ''Coriaria arborea' ...

'', ''

Fuchsia excorticata ''Fuchsia excorticata'', commonly known as tree fuchsia, New Zealand fuchsia and by its Māori name , is a New Zealand native tree belonging to the family Onagraceae. It is commonly found throughout New Zealand and as far south as the Auckland ...

'', ''

Notelaea ''Notelaea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Oleaceae. It includes 21 species native to eastern Australia and Tasmania, New Zealand, the Norfolk Islands, New Caledonia, and the Hawaiian Islands. Plants in the genus ''Notelaea'' ar ...

'' species, '' Pseudopanax arboreus'', ''

Ripogonum scandens ''Ripogonum scandens'' (commonly known as supplejack, Māori: kareao, pirita, translated as ''"twisted rope"'') is a common rainforest vine endemic to New Zealand. The species was described by Johann Reinhold Forster, and Georg Forster in 1776. ...

'', ''

Sophora ''Sophora'' is a genus of about 45 species of small trees and shrubs in the pea family Fabaceae. The species have a pantropical distribution. The generic name is derived from ''sophera'', an Arabic name for a pea-flowered tree. The genus formerl ...

'' species and ''

Wisteria ''Wisteria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae (Leguminosae). The genus includes four species of woody twining vines that are native to China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, southern Canada, the Eastern United States, and nor ...

'' species.

References

Oecophorinae Moths of New Zealand Taxa named by Francis Walker (entomologist) Endemic fauna of New Zealand Moths described in 1864 Endemic moths of New Zealand {{Oecophoridae-stub