Tingena fenestrata

Tingena fenestrata observation

This species was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1926 using specimens collected at Dun Mountain and named Borkhausenia fenestrata.[3] George Hudson discussed this species under the name B. fenestrata in his 1928 publication The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[4] In 1988 J. S. Dugdale placed this species within the genus Tingena.[2] The male holotype is held in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.[2] Dr Robert Hoare has communicated that this species may belong to the genus Mermeristis.[5]

Tingena fenestrata holotype

Philpott described this species as follows:

♂ ♀. 10 ½–12 mm. Head dull brown, mixed with ochreous posteriorly. Palpi bright ochreous mixed with brown. Antennae brown annulated with ochreous, ciliations in male 2 ½. Thorax bronzy-brown. Abdomen pale bronzy-brown. Legs pale ochreous mixed with brown, tarsi obscurely annulated with paler. Forewings moderate, costa moderately arched, apex obtuse, termen rounded, oblique; pale dull-brown; first discal indicated by a few scattered brownish-black scales; plical obliquely beyond first discal, very small, sometimes consisting of one scale only; second discal larger, lower half white; a very obscure irregular dark-brown subterminal line: fringes dull-brownish mixed with pale ochreous and darker brown. Hindwings bronzy-fuscous: fringes fuscous-grey with darker basal line.[3]

This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the South Island.[1]

This species is on the wing in December.[5]

This species has been observed in native forest habitat.[4]