Helastia cinerearia

This species was first described by Edward Doubleday in 1843 and named Cidaria cinerearia.[4] George Hudson illustrated and discussed this species under the name Xanthorhoe cinerearia in 1928 in his book The moths and butterflies of New Zealand.[5] In 1939 Louis Beethoven Prout placed this species in the genus Larentia.[6] In 1971 J. S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Helastia and went on to confirm this placement in his 1988 publication Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa.[7][8] Robin C. Craw when revising the Helastia genus discussed this species in 1987.[2] The male lectotype specimen collected by Andrew Sinclair in Auckland is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[7]

Observation of H. cinerearia.

This species was described by Edward Doubleday as follows:

Anterior wings acuminate, very slightly falcate, pale brownish-ash, with numerous fuscous strigae, mostly very slender, but occasionally uniting to form transverse bands, of which one, not very distinct, is situated near the base, another a little before, and a third a little beyond the middle, these two being very distinct near the costa, but almost obliterated near the inner margin. Near the outer margin, which is rather darker than the ground-colour of the wing, is a slender much-waved whitish striga, and near the middle of the costa is a minute white dot. Posterior ashy-white, rather shining, with numerous indistinct fuscous strigae. Antennae of the male emitting from their lower surface two stout pectinations of unequal length, closely approximating at their origin, clothed with a delicate silky pubescence ; at the base and apex these pectinations are very short. Palpi rather long.[4]

H. cinerearia is often confused with H. alba, H. christinae, H. mutabilis, and H. semisignata.[2]

H. cinerearia is endemic to New Zealand.[1] This species is found in the North, South and Stewart Islands and has also been observed on the Mercury Islands and Chatham Islands.[2]

This species has been found in a variety of habitats including urban gardens, various types of forest and sub alpine habitats.[2] The larval host is lichen on rocks.[9]

Adult moths are on the wing all year but are most commonly observed from September until February.[10] Adult moths of H. cinerearia fly during dusk and at the evening and can be taken a light, sugar and at blossoms.[11] Adult moths have been observed feeding from and likely pollenating Hebe salicifolia, Hoheria lyallii and Leptospermum scoparium.[12] Adults have been observed resting on stones, or bare ground, and is very partial to the sides of road cuttings where it sometimes occurs in considerable numbers.[5] It is also fond of resting on walls and fences.[5]