Heterocrossa contactella facts for kids

The Heterocrossa contactella is a small moth that belongs to the Carposinidae family. This special moth is found only in New Zealand, meaning it is endemic to that country.

Discovering the Heterocrossa contactella

This moth was first described in 1866 by a scientist named Francis Walker. He used moths collected in Nelson in 1860 by T. R. Oxley. Walker first named it Tinea contactella.

How the moth got its name

Over the years, the moth's name changed a few times. In 1905, another scientist, Edward Meyrick, moved the moth to a different group called Heterocrossa. Later, in 1911, Meyrick thought he had found a new type of moth. He named it Carposina amalodes. But it turned out to be the same moth!

In 1922, Meyrick suggested that Heterocrossa was actually the same as Carposina. So, for a while, the moth was known as Carposina contactella. George Hudson wrote about this moth in his 1928 book, The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. He used both Carposina contactella and Carposina amalodes to talk about it.

Settling the name

In 1978, Elwood Zimmerman argued that Heterocrossa should be its own group. He noticed that moths in the Heterocrossa group had unique body features. Because of this, in 1988, John S. Dugdale officially put the moth back into the Heterocrossa group. He also confirmed that Carposina amalodes was the same as Heterocrossa contactella.

The original moth specimen that scientists used to describe this species is called a lectotype. You can find this important specimen at the Natural History Museum, London.

What the Heterocrossa contactella looks like

This moth is quite small, with a wingspan of about 14 to 15 millimeters. Its head is white, and its antennae are white with faint dark rings. The body of the moth is a mix of whitish-yellow and dark grey.

Its front wings are long and narrow. They are mostly grey with patches of dark grey and white. There's a wide, white area along the front edge of the wing. You might also see small black dots and faint yellowish spots on the wings. These spots are often surrounded by white. The back wings are grey and look lighter towards the front.

Where the Heterocrossa contactella lives

This moth is only found in New Zealand. It has been seen in many different places across the country. These include the Whanganui River area, Paekakariki, Wellington, the Otira River area, Ida Valley, Queenstown, Invercargill, and Bluff.

Life cycle and behavior

The Heterocrossa contactella moths are usually seen flying during the months of December and January. This is when they are active and looking for mates.

Habitat

These moths like to live in places with light forests and scrubland. They especially prefer areas where Leptospermum shrubs grow. These shrubs might be important for the moth's survival, perhaps as a food source or a place to lay eggs.