Asterivora inspoliata

Illustration of A. inspoliata by George Hudson.

This species was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1930, using a specimen collected by C. E. Clarke at Flat Mountain, Hunter Mountains in December at 4,000 feet (1,200 m), and named Simaethis inspoliata.[3] In 1939 George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under that name.[4] In 1979 J. S. Dugdale placed this species within the genus Asterivora.[5] In 1988 Dugdale confirmed this placement.[2] The male holotype specimen, collected at Flat Mountain, is held at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.[2]

A. inspoliata

Philpott described this species as follows:

♂. 10 mm. Head and thorax dark brown. Pace grey. Palpi, second segment with dense rounded descending tuft, grey. Antennae black spotted with white, ciliations in ♂ 3+1⁄4. Abdomen greyish fuscous. Legs dark fuscous, mixed and banded with white. Porewings with costa slightly arched, apex rounded, termen almost straight, oblique; brown; markings formed chiefly by dense white irroration; a small irregular basal patch; a broad band from 1⁄5 to 1⁄2 costa and 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 dorsum, its inner edge slightly incurved and its outer margin irregular; a broad fascia from costa at 3⁄4 to tornus, constricted beneath costa and somewhat excurved; a thin subterminal line white on costa and metallic blue round termen: between second and third fasciae on lower half of wing a large black blotch enclosing two small patches of metallic blue scales: fringes brown, touched with white at tornus and with a darker basal line. Hindwings pale purplish brown, lighter towards apex; a rather obscure white fascia from tornus reaching about half way round termen and keeping close to the margin: fringes brown, more or less white-tipped and with a darker basal line.[3]

This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been found in subalpine habitat in the hills and mountains of Otago, Fiordland and Southland.[2][6]

Adults of this species are on the wing in December and January.[3][6]