This species was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1915 using two specimens collected at the Longwood Range in Southland on the bare tops at 2800 ft. in December.[2]George Hudson described and illustrated this species in his 1928 publication The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[3] In 1928 Philpott studied the male genitalia of this species.[4] The male holotype is held at the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.[5]
Description
Illustration by Hudson.
Philpott described this species as follows:
♂. 16+1⁄2—17+1⁄2 mm. Head greyish-fuscous. Palpi dark brownish-ochreous. Antennae fuscous ringed with whitish, ciliations 1+1⁄4. Thorax fuscous mixed with orange and white. Abdomen fuscous-grey. Forewings rather elongate, costa moderately arched, apex rounded, termen obliquely rounded ; pale orange ; some irregular leaden-coloured markings within basal patch ; first fascia narrow, outwardly oblique, bifid from middle to dorsum, white ; median fascia narrow, outwardly oblique, irregular, costal portion white and the lower half breaking up into a network of leaden-coloured fasciae ; a narrow fascia from 3⁄4 costa, bifid from middle, anterior limb to 3⁄4 dorsum and posterior limb to tornus, white, leaden-coloured beneath costa and on anterior limb ; a white dot, margined beneath with leaden colour, on costa between this fascia and the preceding one ; a narrow white subterminal striga, touching termen before tornus : cilia grey mixed with white, tips yellowish. Hindwings greyish-fuscous : cilia greyish-white with darker basal line.[2]
Philpott states that this species is distinctive in colouration and markups.[2] He also points out that one specimen was almost wholly leaden coloured.[2]
Distribution
This species is endemic to New Zealand.[1] It has been observed in Southland and also at Ben Lomond in Otago.[2][6]
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