Spleenwort spore-eater facts for kids

Batrachedra psithyra is a tiny moth that belongs to the family Batrachedridae. This moth is special because it is found only in New Zealand. Scientists call this "endemic" to New Zealand.

How Scientists Name Moths

A scientist named Edward Meyrick first described B. psithyra in 1889. He found the moth in Hamilton. Later, in 1928, another scientist named George Hudson wrote about this moth in his book, The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. The main example specimen, called a lectotype, is kept safe at the Natural History Museum, London.

What Does This Moth Look Like?

This moth is quite small, usually about 7 to 10 millimeters long. That's less than half an inch! Its head, body, and chest are a shiny, pearly white color. The moth's mouthparts, called palpi, are also white with a dark ring. Its antennae are white with faint rings. Its legs are white with light brown bands.

The front wings are long, very narrow, and pointy. They are mostly white with some light brown speckles. You can see three small, dark brown dots on the wings. There's also a sharp black dot right at the tip of the wing. The tiny hairs around the wing edges, called cilia, are whitish with a black line near the tip. The back wings are whitish with whitish cilia.

Where Does This Moth Live?

As we mentioned, Batrachedra psithyra lives only in New Zealand. You can find it in many different places across the country. It has been seen in Kaeo, Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Queenstown, and Invercargill. It also lives in Fiordland and on Somes Island.

Moth Life and Habits

Adult Batrachedra psithyra moths are active from November to January. They like to fly around at sunset. George Hudson, the scientist, said these moths were common in a place now known as Zealandia in Wellington. When this moth rests, it lifts the front part of its body. Before it moves, it often waves its antennae back and forth, one after the other.

Where It Lives and What It Eats

This moth likes to live in rough, overgrown areas. You can find it in grasslands or in open spaces with ferns near forests. It has also been found in a special type of habitat called gumland heath. The young moths, called larvae, eat the spore clusters (sori) found on ferns. One of their favorite ferns to eat is called Histiopteris incisa.

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  Batrachedra psithyra