Erechthias lychnopa

It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1927 from a specimen collected by George Hudson in November, in a karaka grove, near Sinclair Head, Wellington.[2][3] Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 publication The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[4] The holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[3]

Illustration of E. lychnopa.

Meyrick described the species as follows:

♂ 15 mm. Head, thorax greyish mixed darker. Palpi grey mixed blackish, beneath whitish. Antennae grey tinged fulvous on basal half. Forewings grey irregularly irrorated blackish scales finely edged whitish; a white mark on middle of costal edge; upturned apical area with median portion dark grey mixed blackish and speckled white, above and below this triangular light orange-ochreous spots, line of flexure with whitish reflections: cilia grey-whitish with blackish subbasal and postmedian shades, above apex a blackish external hook. Hindwings dark grey, an apical spot of whitish speckling; cilia grey, round apex whitish-tinged with three dark grey lines.[2]

In appearance this species is very similar to Erechthias externalla however it can be distinguished from this species as it is much larger.[4]

Sinclair Head, type locality of E. lychnopa.

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[5][1] It has only been found at Sinclair Head, in Wellington.[6]

The larvae of this species are likely to inhabit dead wood.[6] The adult moths are on the wing in November.[4] The habitat these moths have frequented is scrub forest.[4]

This species has been classified as having the "Data Deficient" conservation status under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.[7] E. lychnopa has yet to be found again since being first collected in November in shrubland at Sinclair Head.[8]