Yellow Featherfoot

Stathmopoda skelloni

STATHMOPODIDAE: Feather-legged Moths 6

Stathmopoda skelloni (Butler, 1880). F.L. 6.5-8 mm. Endemic. Common.

Habitat, seasonality and behaviour 7

It is found in a variety of habitats including native forest, coastal dunes, shrubland as well as cultivated gardens and orchards. Adults may be commonly found from September to March and can be disturbed from vegetation by day and come to light at night.

Life history 7

Larvae feed on a wide range of plants, chiefly on the dried remains of flowers (e.g. gorse); they are also recorded from fruits of lemonwood, dying flowers and seeds of flax and seedheads of raupo. Pupation is in the feeding place (Hoare, 2014).

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) bikingbirder, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  2. (c) Dougal Townsend, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Dougal Townsend
  3. (c) Tony Steer, all rights reserved, uploaded by Tony Steer
  4. George Vernon Hudson , no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fig_16_MA_I437893_TePapa_Plate-XXXII-The-butterflies_full_(cropped).jpg
  5. George Vernon Hudson , no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fig_17_MA_I437893_TePapa_Plate-XXXII-The-butterflies_full_(cropped).jpg
  6. Adapted by Tony Steer from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stathmopoda_skelloni
  7. (c) Tony Steer, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

iNaturalist NZ Map

Labial palps curved upwards, long
Forewing 5-9 mm, elongate, narrow, pointed apex, tornal cilia
Body raised hindlegs