Izatha psychra

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick and named Aochleta psychra in 1884 using a male specimen collected by John Enys at Porters Pass.[3][4] This type specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[4][5] George Vernon Hudson repeated Meyricks description in his 1928 publication The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[6] In 1988 John S. Dugdale assigned Aochleta psychra to the genus Izatha.[4] Neither the larva nor the female of this species are known or have been described.[7]

Meyrick described the species as follows:

Male. — 21 mm. Head and thorax grey-whitish, sprinkled with fuscous- grey. Palpi grey- whitish, mixed with fuscous, basal half of second joint dark fuscous externally, terminal joint with a slender dark fuscous ring above middle. Antennas grey. Abdomen grey-whitish. Legs dark- fuscous, posterior tibiae with grey-whitish hairs, all tarsi with obscure whitish rings at apex of joints. Forewings elongate, slightly dilated, costa gently arched, apex obtuse, hindmargin oblique, nearly straight ; whitish, irregularly irrorated with grey and fuscous scales ; these tend to form suffused markings, a spot on middle of inner margin, another above anal angle, a narrow suffusion along posterior half of costa, and an apical patch ; a small cloudy darker spot towards hindmargin in middle ; a minute black dot in disc at 1⁄3, another slightly above it in middle, and a very small blackish ocellus in disc at 2⁄3 : cilia whitish, with two cloudy grey lines. Hindwings whitish ; cilia whitish, with two faint grey lines.[3]

It is possible to confuse this species with some of the greyish coloured species within the genus Tingena.[7] However I. psychra can be distinguished as it lacks the antennal pecten of the Tigena species.[7]

This species is endemic to New Zealand,[2][8] and has only been found in the southern half of the South Island. I. psychra is only known from two localities, its type locality of Porters Pass where it has not been seen since the 19th century, and the small Pukaki Scientific Reserve near Lake Pukaki in the Mackenzie Basin.[7]

Male adults are on the wing from January to February.[7] In the one remain site where this species is known to exist, the Pukaki Scientific Reserve, the habitat is shrubland.[7] The Pukaki Scientific Reserve was significantly damaged by fire in August 2020 and for a time fears were held that this may have resulted in the extinction of the species.[9] However a survey completed in 2021 caught two adult males of this species, indicating its continued existence.[9]

The host species of this moth are unknown,[7] however larvae are likely to feed on dead wood.[10]

Despite being given a level of protection by being classified as a Scientific Reserve, the lone shrubland site inhabited by I. psychra is vulnerable to wilding pine invasion and fire.[7] As a result, this species has been classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification system as being Nationally Endangered.[1] As at May 2021 conservation work is being undertaken to help protect the habitat of this moth after the devastating August 2020 fire at the reserve.[9]

Wikispecies has information related to Izatha psychra.

• Izatha psychra discussed on RNZ Critter of the Week, 5 March 2021