Stigmella hakekeae

This species was first described in 1989 by Hans Donner and Christopher Wilkinson from specimens collected in the Taupō, Canterbury, Otago and Southland regions as well as at Stewart Island. The male holotype specimen, collected in Dunedin in November 1920, is held at Te Papa.[3]

The larvae are 3 to 4 mm long and greenish white.[3] The mine of these larvae differs from that of S. fulva in the lack of purple discolouration of the leaf in the region of the egg.[3]

Donner and Wilkinson described the male and the female of this species as follows:

Head. Frontal tuft rusty white; scape white; collar cream, sometimes with brown scales; antenna grey, comprising 32 segments. Thorax grey. Forewing about 3 mm long, speckled brown-grey, with 2 obscure white postmedial areas, one at dorsum, one at costa; fringe grey. Hindwing and fringe pale grey. Abdomen grey.[3]

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[4][1] It is found in the North, South and Stewart Islands.[3]

This moth can be seen flying during the day near its host plants.[6] This species has been reared on Olearia paniculata sourced from the Marlborough Sounds and on Olearia arborescens, Olearia ilicifolia, Olearia avicenniifolia and Olearia nummulariifolia sourced from other locations including Tiwai Point and Longwood Range.[6] This species is regarded as widely distributed and locally abundant.[6]