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 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 Ihu 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 reality Knowledge moths. This way, if they start to www.landcareresearch.co.nz/mothnet Email: [email protected] Many of our native plants are likely there are very few moth species 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 whose caterpillars eat clothes. You 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 can easily solve this problem by 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 putting the clothes in and out of the 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 freezer a couple of times. 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. 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 Puka Whakamārama o te Pepe Nui Herbivores: that eat plants Acknowledgements Tāne asks his brother “What will we constellation. Pollination of each species gives us more for other and native This guide contains only the most 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 common larger moths in this large 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 region. If you find a moth that is not 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 in this guide, this may be because 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. it is rare, a range extension (not 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. normally found in this place), a We can use Tāne asks if he can return to earth would be reincarnated as a moth. ‘micro-moth’, an introduced species 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 or a new species. Please let us know. understand Terrestrial Freshwater Biodiversity Information System says that the birds will live in the Moths are an important part of we can 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: 978-0-947525-33-0 (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 Hepialidae

p Aenetus virescens Epyaxa lucidata Helicoverpa armigera Agrotis ipsilon Meterana levis Meterana ochthistis A s. Pseudocoremia leucelaea Pseudocoremia monacha Epyaxa rosearia s s s .

Chalastra ochrea Helastia cinerearia Agrotis innominata Epyaxa venipunctata Helastia cymozeucta Helastia mutabilis Helastia semisignata Meterana pascoi Meterana praesignis Cleora scriptaria Diarsia intermixta 1cm

Aenetus virescens ‘Aletia’ moderata Meterana pauca Homodotis megaspilata ‘Hydriomena’ arida Declana floccosa ‘Hydriomena’ deltoidata eredayia graminosa Meterana tartarea Meterana vitiosa Chalastra pellurgata Pseudocoremia indistincta Pseudocoremia productata

Dipaustica epiastra ‘Hydriomena’ purpurifera ‘Hydriomena’ rixata Pasiphila bilineolata Graphania infensa Graphania lignana Declana leptomera Declana niveata Mythimna separata Persectania aversa Physetica homoscia Pseudocoremia rudisata Sestra flexata Sarisa muriferata Pasiphila inductata Pasiphila dryas Dumbletonius unimaculatus Graphania mollis Graphania sp. . morosa Graphania paracausta s p p p s . Wiseana signata

Declana junctilinea Pasiphila malachita Proteuxoa tetronycha Gellonia pannularia Asaphodes aegrota Asaphodes beata Asaphodes limonodes Pasiphila sandycias Pasiphila melochlora Pasiphila muscosata Pasiphila plinthina Proteuxoa sanguinipuncta Graphania insignis

Pasiphila testulata Phrissogonus laticostatus Pasiphila sphragitis Wiseana cervinata Wiseana umbraculata Asaphodes chlamydota Asaphodes philpo Ischalis fortinata Gellonia dejectaria Poecilasthena pulchraria Tmetolophota atristriga Tmetolophota purdii Austrocidaria bipartita Tmetolophota arotis Graphania mutans Graphania ustistriga

Pasiphila semochlora Poecilasthena schistaria Tatosoma topea Xanthorhoe semifissata Austrocidaria callichlora Austrocidaria similata Austrocidaria gobiata Ischalis nelsonaria Ischalis gallaria Tmetolophota semivittata Tmetolophota steropastis Chrysodeixis eriosoma Graphania omoplaca Meterana alcyone Erebidae Austrocidaria parora ‘’ filata Elvia glaucata Xyridacma alectoraria Saturniidae Ischalis variabilis Xyridacma veronicae Graphania plena Schrania costaestrigalis

Opodiphthera eucalypti Pseudocoremia fascialata Pseudocoremia fenerata Epicyme rubropunctaria Epiphryne undosata Epiphryne verriculata Xyridacma ustaria Scopula rubraria Meterana coeleno Meterana decorata hapsa scotosialis Trigonistis anticlina