Thectophila facts for kids

Thectophila acmotypa is a tiny moth that belongs to the family Cosmopterigidae. Some scientists think it might belong to a different family called Blastodacnidae. This moth is very special because it's the only species in its group, called Thectophila. It is also endemic to New Zealand, which means it's found nowhere else in the world! The Department of Conservation has listed this moth as "Data Deficient." This means we don't have enough information to know if it's in danger or not.

Discovering the Thectophila acmotypa Moth

This special moth was first described in 1927 by a scientist named Edward Meyrick. He used a female moth specimen to study and name it. This particular moth was found by George Hudson in February. He found it near Arthur's Pass in New Zealand, high up in the mountains at about 1200 meters (almost 4,000 feet).

Hudson later wrote about and showed pictures of this moth in his book, The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand, published in 1928. The original moth specimen, which is called a holotype, is kept safe at the Natural History Museum, London.

What Does This Moth Look Like?

Edward Meyrick described the female moth as being about 14 millimeters long. That's about half an inch!

He said its head and body were a yellowish-white color. Its feelers, called palpi, were also whitish. The front wings were shaped like a spear, with a sharp, pointed tip. They were also yellowish-white. There was a thin, dark gray line on the wing that ended in a black dot at the very tip. The tiny hairs around the wing edges were yellowish-white too. They had short blackish and gray lines near their base. The back wings were a pale gray color, and their hairs were whitish.

Where Does This Moth Live?

This moth is only found in New Zealand. So far, scientists have only seen it in one place: Arthur's Pass.

Moth Behavior and Life

Scientists don't know much about the life of Thectophila acmotypa. We know that the adult male moths fly around in February. However, we don't know what the young moths, called larvae, eat.

Moth Home and Food

This moth likes to live in areas with rough plants and grasses in the mountains. Luckily, the place where it lives, Arthur's Pass, is part of the Arthur's Pass National Park. This means its home is protected. As mentioned, we still don't know what plants the moth larvae eat.

How We Protect This Moth

The Thectophila acmotypa moth has a "Data Deficient" conservation status. This is under the New Zealand Threat Classification System. It means we need more information about this moth. We need to find out more about its numbers and where it lives. This will help us understand if it needs special protection to survive.