''Metacrias huttoni'', known as the Alpine tiger or Alpine tiger moth, is a species of
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 ...
in the family
Erebidae
The Erebidae are a family (biology), family of moths in the superfamily Noctuoidea. The family is among the largest families of moths by species count and contains a wide variety of well-known macromoth groups. The family includes the underwin ...
. This species is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to New Zealand, where it is known from the eastern areas of the
South Island
The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...
. The female of the species is flightless and buff coloured whereas the male is brightly coloured and flies during the day.
Taxonomy
This species was described by
Arthur Gardiner Butler
Arthur Gardiner Butler F.L.S., F.Z.S. (27 June 1844 – 28 May 1925) was an English entomologist, arachnologist and ornithologist. He worked at the British Museum on the taxonomy of birds, insects, and spiders.
Biography
Arthur Gardiner B ...
in 1879 using two specimens collected in
Queenstown by
Frederick Hutton and named ''Phaos huttonii''.
In 1886
Edward Meyrick
Edward Meyrick (25 November 1854 – 31 March 1938) was an English schoolmaster and amateur entomologist. He was an expert on microlepidoptera and some consider him one of the founders of modern microlepidoptera systematics.
Life and work
Ed ...
assigned this species to the genus ''Metacrias''.
George Hudson
George Hudson (probably 10 March 1800 – 14 December 1871) was an English railway financier and politician who, because he controlled a significant part of the Railway Mania, railway network in the 1840s, became known as "The Railway King"—a ...
discussed and illustrated this species in his 1898 publication ''New Zealand moths and butterflies (Macro-lepidoptera)'' using the name ''Metacrias huttonii.''
He again discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book ''The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.''
In this publication Hudson used the name ''Metacrias huttoni'' to describe the species following George Hampson's use of that spelling in his ''Catalogue of Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British Museum.''
This spelling has since been in common use as evidenced in the New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity,
New Zealand Arthropod Collection
The New Zealand Arthropod Collection is a collection of terrestrial invertebrates held by Maanaki Whenua – Landcare Research in Auckland, New Zealand. It specialises in the taxonomy and identification of indigenous and exotic invertebrate sp ...
as well as the
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is New Zealand's national museum and is located in Wellington. Usually known as Te Papa ( Māori for ' the treasure box'), it opened in 1998 after the merging of the National Museum of New Zealand ...
.
The
holotype
A holotype (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...
specimen is held at the
Natural History Museum, London
The Natural History Museum in London is a museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum (Lo ...
.
Description
The larvae of this species are approximately long, black and very hairy. The hairs on the terminal segments are the longest and the shortest hairs are reddish-ochreous-brown. There is are blue dots around each segment except the second.
Adults males are brightly coloured and
diurnal, while females are buff coloured and extremely short winged.
Butler described the species as follows:
Distribution

This species 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 ...
.
It is known from the eastern areas of the South Island.
Biology and behaviour
The female of the species is
semiapterious and remains within her cocoon for mating and egg laying.
As a result of this, the population disbursal of the species is limited to the wanderings of the larvae.
The male of the species is
diurnal and is on the wing from December to March.
Males are attracted to females by pheromones.
Males of this species can be attracted to the scent of females of different species within their genus.
Researchers have used females as lures to take advantage of this behaviour to detect males in new localities.
The larvae hibernates during winter.
Pupae cocoons are normally found beneath stones.
Habitat and host species

This species prefers montane to low-alpine habitats.
The larvae of ''M. huttoni'' feed on various mountain grasses.
These include introduced species such as ''
Trifolium repens
''Trifolium repens'', the white clover, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the bean family Fabaceae (otherwise known as Leguminosae). It is native to Europe, including the British Isles, and central Asia and is one of the most widely cultivated ...
'', ''
Arenaria serpyllifolia
''Arenaria serpyllifolia'', commonly known as thyme-leaf sandwort, or thyme-leaved sandwort is an annual or biennial flowering plant in the pink and carnation family Caryophyllaceae.
References
Arenaria (plant), serpyllifolia
Flora of ...
'', ''
Rumex acetosella
''Rumex acetosella'', commonly known as red sorrel, sheep's sorrel, field sorrel and sour weed, is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family Polygonaceae. Native to Eurasia including the British Isles, the plant and its subspecies are ...
'',
''Cerastium'' ''fontanum'' and ''
Taraxacum officinale
''Taraxacum officinale'', the dandelion or common dandelion, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the daisy family, Asteraceae. The common dandelion is well known for its yellow flower heads that turn into round balls of many silver-tuf ...
'' as well as endemic species such as ''
Festuca novae-zelandiae'' and indigenous species from the genera ''
Acaena
''Acaena'' is a genus of about 60 species of mainly evergreen, creeping herbaceous perennial plants and subshrubs in the family Rosaceae, native mainly to the Southern Hemisphere, notably New Zealand, Australia and South America, but with a few ...
'', ''
Muehlenbeckia
''Muehlenbeckia'' or maidenhair is a genus of flowering plants in the family Polygonaceae. It is native to the borders of the Pacific, including South and North America, Papua New Guinea and Australasia. It has been introduced elsewhere, includin ...
'', ''
Wahlenbergia
''Wahlenbergia'' is a genus of around 260 species of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Campanulaceae. Plants in this genus are Perennial plant, perennial or Annual plant, annual Herbaceous plant, herbs with simple leaves and blue t ...
'' and ''
Raoulia''.
Threats
It has been shown that sheep grazing within the habitat of this species is detrimental to its populations.
''M. huttoni'' is a host species for the
parasitoid wasp
Parasitoid wasps are a large group of hymenopteran Superfamily (zoology), superfamilies, with all but the wood wasps (Orussoidea) being in the wasp-waisted Apocrita. As parasitoids, they lay their eggs on or in the bodies of other arthropods, ...
s ''
Echthromorpha intricatoria
''Echthromorpha intricatoria'', also known as the cream-spotted ichneumon, is a common wasp found in Australia and New Zealand. It cannot sting and does not build nests, and is harmless to humans. The female injects eggs into pupae of moths and ...
'' and ''
Cotesia urabae''.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q6822464
Spilosomina
Moths of New Zealand
Endemic fauna of New Zealand
Moths described in 1879
Taxa named by Arthur Gardiner Butler
Endemic moths of New Zealand