NZ are special Moths can also be pests Why we need to trap the moths? Why do we need to study moths? More than 86% of the known moths Hīhue (the kūmara , Agrius Who benefits from Moths are mainly out at night, so Moths breed fast and have lots of in NZ are endemic. They only occur convolvuli) had a large impact on studying moths? most people don’t see how many offspring. There are lots of different in NZ so we have to look after kūmara crops and there are many there are or what’s happening moth species playing different roles them.. whakatauki written about the to them. Unfortunately we need in the ecosystem. Moths have links Beginners’ Guide to Society caterpillar and its capacity to eat. You & I specimens for identification. to lots of other species (e.g. plants, Macro Moths Why are moths important? birds, introduced pests, other Moths are a key part of the wider A more recent pest is the codling Nature Why we need standardised data? invertebrates). ecosystem and they sit in the moth (Cydia pomonella). Introduced If we all use the same type of trap Te Tuakoko centre of a complex food web. The from Europe, it attacks apples, (e.g. a Heath Moth Trap) we can If something is changing in the caterpillars are herbivores eating a pears, walnuts, and other fruit. compare data from different places ecosystem, moths are amongst the first creatures to respond. They range of native plants. Education and over time. With standardised Moths have a bad reputation for information we can all work are likely to be good indicators of Stories Where to get more information & help Many adult moths drink nectar eating clothes, especially natural together to keep an eye on the change. and are important pollinators. fibres like wool, silk, and fur. In Knowledge moths. This way, if they start to www.landcareresearch.co.nz/mothnet Email: [email protected] Many of our native plants are likely reality there are very few moth Biosecurity decline we can see something is What does that word mean? Te Takenga mai o te Pepe - Ngā Whetū - The Stars @MothNetNZ pollinated by moths. Moths go species whose caterpillars eat happening and work together to : moths and butterflies The Origin of the Moth The story of the moth is told in the Appreciation quietly about this critical job during clothes. You can easily solve this take better care of the moths. Endemic: found only in that place MothNetNZ Tāne climbs to the highest stars of the Rēhua constellation. www.naturewatch.org.nz/ the night when most people are problem by putting the clothes in Music Ecosystem: all biological and heaven to visit his brother, Rēhua. Rēhua, the eldest son of Raki and Kaitiakitanga Entomological Society of New Zealand: sleeping, which means we often and out of the freezer a couple of Why we need quantitative data? physical processes in an area Rēhua calls for a fire to be lit and Papatūānuku, is the reddish star www.ento.org.nz overlook how important they are. times. Food web: what eats what calabashes to be brought forth. Antares in the western Scorpius Counting the number of individuals Moths are a major food source Herbivores: that eat plants Acknowledgements Tāne asks his brother “What will we constellation. Pollination of each species gives us more for other and native Puka Whakamārama o te Pepe Nui Nocturnal: active at night The text, content, and design are by the Ahi Pepe be eating, brother?” At this, Rēhua information than just a list of the MothNet project partners: Dr Barbara J Anderson, birds. Unfortunately, they are This guide contains only the most Community: species in an area shakes his head and two kōkō/ Wairua Tangata - species present. This quantitative Komene Cassidy, Victoria Campbell, Dr Robert Hoare, also an important food source for common larger moths in this large Ecosystem tūi fall from his hair. Tāne refuses ‘The Spirit of a Person’ information helps to detect change Tiahuia Kawe-Small, Tahu MacKenzie, Dr Ralf Ohlemüller, introduced pests like mice, rats, and region. If you find a moth that is not Health Tangiwai Rewi, Dr Priscilla Wehi and Emma Burns. Illustrations to eat the birds as they have been over time or between places. A common held belief was that the hedgehogs. in this guide, this may be because Science are by Sean W Gilles. The moth list was compiled by Dr Robert living in Rēhua’s hair and are tapu. spirits of those who had passed We need to Hoare, with help from NZ’s lepidopterist community. it is rare, a range extension (not We can use Tāne asks if he can return to earth would be reincarnated as a moth. normally found in this place), a know what The moth images are photographs by Birgit Rhode of with the birds. Rēhua agrees, and science to we have so specimens in the NZAC, taken with funding from the ‘micro-moth’, an introduced species understand Terrestrial Freshwater Biodiversity Information System says that the birds will live in the Moths are an important part of we can or a new species. Please let us know. ecosystem (TFBIS) programme. trees, and feed on the fruits of the New Zealand’s biodiversity better trees. When Rēhua shook his head responses to Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) protect it This guide was produced by Manaaki Whenua – other ‘birds’ also fell out: pēpepe, land-use change, Landcare Research as part of the Ahi Pepe MothNet are the third largest group of insects climate change project funded by the MBIE Unlocking Curious the moth; tātarakihi, the cicada; The more we know about in New Zealand (over 1750 named Minds initiative and Biological Heritage National pihareinga, the grasshopper; and and light pollution Ecology species). Scientists estimate there things, the more we Science Challenge. kēkerewai, the beetle. Collectively ISBN: 978-0-947525-36-1 (2017) are still more than 300 moth species appreciate their beauty and these are known as ‘Ngā Manu a Biogeography to be discovered and named in intrinsic value Rēhua’ and come out in summer. New Zealand.

“When the pepetuna are in great numbers it is a good night for eeling” Tangiwai Rewi This work is licensed creative commons Attribution-nonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 new Zealand. To view details of this license go to www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/nz/

Ka hou ki te whenua, he tūkoukou; ka puta ki te rangi he pepe – Te āwheto kai paeka – The caterpillar eats the leaf Me te upoko tūkoukou – like the chrysalis of the Sphinx moth I hikaina te ahi titi, engari i whakapoapoa kē i te pepe – He iti hoki te mokoroa, nāna i kakati te Kahikatea – The pupa enters the Earth, a moth emerges to the sky (Said of someone who goes around tasting various dishes) (When likening something to especially fine weaving) The fire was lit to attract the mutton birds and the moths flew into it – Te Whiti o Rongomai Although the mokoroa is small it attacks the Kahikatea Geometridae Noctuidae

‘Chloroclystis’ filata Epiphryne charidema Epiphryne undosata ‘Aletia’ dentata Physetica caerulea Bityla defigurata Graphania paracausta Pseudocoremia fascialata Graphania omoplaca Physetica homoscia Tmetolophota arotis

Agrotis ipsilon Pseudocoremia fenerata Helastia cymozeucta Helastia mutabilis Homodotis megaspilata Graphania plena Tmetolophota atristriga ‘Aletia’ moderata ‘Aletia’ virescens Tmetolophota lissoxyla Cleora scriptaria Tmetolophota micrastra Chalastra pellurgata Austramathes fortis Pseudocoremia foxi

Pseudocoremia leucelaea Graphania pelanodes Tmetolophota hartii ‘Hydriomena’ deltoidata ‘Hydriomena’ hemizona Graphania ustistriga Diarsia intermixta atronivea Declana feredayi Declana hermione Dipaustica epiastra Tmetolophota propria Tmetolophota purdii Meterana coeleno Tmetolophota paraxysta Paradetis porphyrias Pasiphila dryas Pasiphila humilis Pasiphila lunata Pseudocoremia monacha Pseudocoremia indistincta Ichneutica ceraunias eredayia graminosa Declana sp. A Graphania brunneosa Pasiphila inductata Pasiphila lichenodes Meterana diatmeta Tmetolophota unica Tmetolophota semivittata Tmetolophota steropastis Graphania lithias Pseudocoremia productata Pasiphila sandycias Graphania disjungens Declana toreuta Pasiphila semochlora Poecilasthena schistaria Ichneutica marmorata Declana junctilinea Poecilasthena pulchraria Graphania averilla Graphania chlorodonta Meterana pauca

p Aenetus virescens Graphania maya A s. s s s . 1cm

Pseudocoremia suavis Tatosoma fasciata Tatosoma alta Tatosoma apicipallida Xanthorhoe occulta Graphania insignis etera a merope Meterana praesignis Gellonia pannularia Declana leptomera Hepialidae

Graphania infensa Graphania omicron Sarisa muriferata Sestra flexata Sestra humeraria Graphania lindsayi Meterana pictula Aenetus virescens Meterana stipata Mythimna separata 1cm Ischalis variabilis Xyridacma alectoraria Xyridacma veronicae

Erebidae Asaphodes chlamydota Asaphodes philpo Asaphodes prasinias Graphania mutans Graphania mollis Aoraia enysii Persectania aversa Proteuxoa tetronycha Schrania costaestrigalis

Ischalis fortinata

Dumbletonius characterifer Ischalis gallaria Ischalis nelsonaria Austrocidaria gobiata Austrocidaria similata hapsa scotosialis Trigonistis anticlina Graphania sp. . morosa Graphania olivea Graphania rubescens Physetica prionistis Physetica sequens Wiseana cervinata