Izatha voluptuosa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Izatha voluptuosa |
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Oecophoridae
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I. voluptuosa
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| Izatha voluptuosa Hoare, 2010
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Izatha voluptuosa is a type of moth that belongs to the Oecophoridae family. This moth is special because it is found only in New Zealand. This means it is endemic to New Zealand. The Department of Conservation has said that this moth is "Not Threatened," which is good news!
Contents
About the Izatha voluptuosa Moth
How it Got its Name
This moth was officially described by a scientist named Robert J. B. Hoare in 2010. But it was first found much earlier! A person named George Hudson collected this moth in Ohakune in January 1912. At first, people thought it was a different kind of moth.
George Hudson even drew this moth in his 1928 book, The butterflies & moths of New Zealand. The original moth specimen, called the holotype, is kept safe at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.
The name voluptuosa comes from a Latin word, voluptuosus. This word was chosen because the female moths are quite large and have wide wings.
What it Looks Like
The Izatha voluptuosa moth is quite impressive! Male moths have a wingspan (the distance from one wingtip to the other) of about 29–31 millimeters. Female moths are even bigger, with a wingspan of 33–40 millimeters. In fact, the female of this species has the largest wingspan of all gelechioid moths found in New Zealand!
This moth looks a bit like two other moths, I. attactella and I. blepharidota. But you can tell them apart! I. voluptuosa has wider front wings. It also has smaller, less noticeable tufts of scales and a shorter dark stripe at the base of its wings compared to I. attactella.
To tell it apart from I. blepharidota, look at the veins on its front wings. On I. voluptuosa, these veins are usually the same color as the rest of the wing.
Where it Lives
As we mentioned, this moth is found only in New Zealand. It lives in different places on the North Island. You can find it in areas like Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Taupo, and Rangitikei.
Life and Behavior
Adult Izatha voluptuosa moths are usually seen flying from November to February. They are most common during January and February.
What it Eats
Scientists have found that the young moths, called larvae, grow up inside rotten logs. They have been seen living in rotten logs from trees like Weinmannia racemosa. The larvae of this moth have not been fully described yet.
Conservation Status
The Izatha voluptuosa moth is doing well! It has been classified as "Not Threatened" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System. This means there are enough of these moths around, and they are not currently at risk of disappearing.
