STATHMOPODIDAE: Feather-legged Moths ⁵

Stathmopoda horticola (Dugdale, 1988). F.L. 3-5 mm. Endemic. Common & Widespread.

The male horticola is pale and plain, the female is more patterned as per the 1st image.

Habitat, seasonality and behaviour ⁶

Adults can be found from October to February native forest.

Life history ⁶

Larva feed on dead leaves and detritus. Foodplants include: Actinidia deliciosa, Actinidiaceae (Kiwifruit family), Olearia fragrantissima and Olearia odorata Compositae (Daisy family).

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Tony Steer, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Tony Steer
2. (c) Aalbert Rebergen, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Aalbert Rebergen
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. Adapted by Tony Steer from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stathmopoda_horticola
6. (c) Tony Steer, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNaturalist NZ taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• CUIC Insect Images
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants

iNaturalist NZ Map