Mnesarchaea fallax facts for kids

The Mnesarchaea fallax is a small, old type of moth from the Mnesarchaeidae family. It's a special moth because it lives only in New Zealand. The New Zealand Department of Conservation says this moth is "Not Threatened," which means it's not in danger of disappearing.

How Was It Discovered?

A scientist named Alfred Philpott first described this moth in 1927. He found the moths on the Mount Arthur tableland, which is a high, flat area, about 1400 meters (around 4,600 feet) up, in December.

Another scientist, George Hudson, also wrote about this moth in his 1928 book, The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. The original moth specimen that Philpott used to describe the species is kept safe at the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.

What Does It Look Like?

This moth is about 10 millimeters (less than half an inch) long. Its head, mouthparts (palpi), and antennae are a shiny bronze-brown color. Its body is a purplish-brown. The legs are a grayish-brown.

The front wings are shaped like a spear and are bronze-brown. They have a white triangle spot near the bottom corner and a few white scales along the edge. The fringes (tiny hairs) on the wings are also bronze-brown, with some white near the bottom corner. The back wings are grayish-brown with a purplish-violet shine near the tips.

The Mnesarchaea fallax looks a lot like another moth called M. fusca. However, M. fallax is a bit bigger and has narrower wings.

Where Does It Live?

This moth is found only in New Zealand. Besides the Mount Arthur area where it was first found, you can also see it in places like Ruapehu and Mount Taranaki. It also lives in areas from Nelson down to Lewis Pass.

Its Daily Life

You can usually see these moths flying around from October to November. They are day-flying moths, which means they are active during the day, not at night. Unlike many other moths, they are not attracted to lights.

Is It Safe?

The Mnesarchaea fallax moth has been listed as "Not Threatened" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System. This means that experts believe it is not currently at risk of becoming endangered or extinct.

Images for kids

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  Mount Arthur, where the M. fallax moth was first found.