Kiwaia glaucoterma facts for kids

The Kiwaia glaucoterma is a small type of moth. It belongs to a family of moths called Gelechiidae. This moth was first officially described by a scientist named Edward Meyrick in 1911. You can only find this special moth in New Zealand, which means it is endemic there.

Discovering the Moth

This moth was first found and described by Edward Meyrick in 1911. He used two moth samples that were collected by Alfred Philpott. These samples were found on sandy areas near the coast in a place called Invercargill, during January.

What the Moth Looks Like

The male Kiwaia glaucoterma moth has a wingspan of about 9 to 10 millimeters. That's roughly the length of a fingernail!

Its front wings are mostly dark grey. They have a white stripe that goes diagonally from the front edge of the wing, reaching about halfway across. This stripe might also have some yellowish-white scales.

There are also some darker, almost black, smudges on the wing. One is a bit messy, and another is a round black spot. Between these spots, and around the edges of the round spot, you might see tiny white speckles.

The tip of the front wing has a white patch, but it's mixed with dark grey or dark brown closer to the very end. The back wings of the moth are a lighter grey-white color, becoming a bit darker towards their tips.