Trachypepla euryleucota
Encyclopedia
Trachypepla euryleucota is a moth
of the Oecophoridae
family. It is found in New Zealand
.
Adults have been recorded in December. They have been taken when the manuka (Leptospermum
) was in blossom. It is thought that when adults sit at rest its white head, thorax, and basal portion of wings are of protective value by reason of their resemblance to an opening manuka-bud.
Larvae have been found feeding on bird nest debris.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Oecophoridae
Oecophoridae
Oecophoridae is a family of small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. The phylogeny and systematics of gelechoid moths are still not fully resolved, and the circumscription of the Oecophoridae is strongly affected by this....
family. It is found in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Adults have been recorded in December. They have been taken when the manuka (Leptospermum
Leptospermum
Leptospermum is a genus of about 80-86 species of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. Most species are endemic to Australia, with the greatest diversity in the south of the continent; but one species extends to New Zealand, another to Malaysia, and L. recurvum is endemic to Malaysia.They...
) was in blossom. It is thought that when adults sit at rest its white head, thorax, and basal portion of wings are of protective value by reason of their resemblance to an opening manuka-bud.
Larvae have been found feeding on bird nest debris.