TINEIDAE: Fungus Moths, Clothes Moths & Allies ⁶

Monopis ornithias (Meyrick, 1888). F.L. 5 mm. Endemic. Scarce.

Can be confused with Tinea conferta but hyaline (semitransparent) forewing spot gives it away (Hoare, 2020).

Habitat, seasonality and behaviour. ⁷

Adults are on the wing from September to November in and around native forest. It is said to be rare in the Auckland region however, I have attracted a specimen to U.V. light in the central Coromandel ranges.

Life history ⁷

Monopis ornithias has been reared from birds’ nests (Meyrick 1888).

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Possums' End, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Possums' End
2. (c) Tony Steer, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Tony Steer
3. (c) James Tweed, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by James Tweed
4. (c) Tony Steer, all rights reserved, uploaded by Tony Steer
5. George Vernon Hudson , no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fig_25_MA_I437898_TePapa_Plate-XXXVII-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/Monopis_ornithias
7. (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

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