Erechthias terminella

TINEIDAE: Fungus Moths, Clothes Moths & Allies 3

Erechthias terminella (Walker, 1863). Endemic.

Habitat, seasonality and behaviour 4

Adults can be found throughout the year in the North Island but peak during mid summer. They fly at night and can be attracted to artificial light.

Life history 4

The larvae are said to feed on the ripening fruits of the widely cultivated puka Meryta sinclairii Araliaceae (Ivy family).

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) d_kluza, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by d_kluza
  2. anonymous, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fig_21_MA_I437894_TePapa_Plate-XXXIII-The-butterflies_full_(cropped).jpg
  3. Adapted by Tony Steer from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erechthias_terminella
  4. (c) Tony Steer, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

iNaturalist NZ Map

Forewing 5-9 mm, divergent tips, elongate, narrow, tornal cilia
Labial palps curved upwards
Resting posture horizontal, roof-like