NZ moths are special many whakatauki written about the Why we need to trap the moths Why do we need to study moths? More than 86% of the known moths caterpillar and its capacity to eat. Who benefits from Moths are mainly out at night, so Moths breed fast and have lots of in NZ are endemic. They only occur studying moths? most people don’t see how many offspring. There are lots of different in NZ so we have to look after A more recent pest is the codling there are or what’s happening moth species playing different roles them.. moth (Cydia pomonella). Introduced to them. Unfortunately we need in the ecosystem. Moths have links Beginners’ Guide to Society from Europe, it attacks apples, You & I specimens for identification. to lots of other species (e.g. plants, Macro Moths Why are moths important? pears, walnuts, and other fruit. birds, introduced pests, other Moths are a key part of the wider Nature Why we need standardised data invertebrates). Moths have a bad reputation for ecosystem and they sit in the If we all use the same type of trap eating clothes, especially natural centre of a complex food web. The (e.g. a Heath Moth Trap) we can If something is changing in the Te Hiku fibres like wool, silk, and fur. In caterpillars are herbivores eating a compare data from different places ecosystem, moths are amongst reality there are very few moth range of native plants. and over time. With standardised the first creatures to respond. They species whose caterpillars eat Education information we can all work are likely to be good indicators of clothes. You can easily solve this Stories Where to get more information & help Many adult moths drink nectar together to keep an eye on the change. problem by putting the clothes in www.landcareresearch.co.nz/mothnet and are important pollinators. Knowledge moths. This way, if they start to and out of the freezer a couple of Email: [email protected] Many of our native plants are likely Biosecurity decline we can see something is What does that word mean? Te Takenga mai o te Pepe - Ngā Whetū - The Stars times. @MothNetNZ pollinated by moths. Moths go happening and work together to Lepidoptera: moths and butterflies The Origin of the Moth The story of the moth is told in the Appreciation quietly about this critical job during take better care of the moths. Endemic: found only in that place MothNetNZ Tāne climbs to the highest stars of the Rēhua constellation. Puka Whakamārama o te Pepe Nui www.naturewatch.org.nz/ the night when most people are Music Ecosystem: all biological and heaven to visit his brother, Rēhua. Rēhua, the eldest son of Raki and This guide contains only the most Kaitiakitanga Entomological Society of New Zealand: sleeping, which means we often Why we need quantitative data physical processes in an area Rēhua calls for a fire to be lit and Papatūānuku, is the reddish star common larger moths in this large www.ento.org.nz overlook how important they are. Food web: what eats what calabashes to be brought forth. Antares in the western Scorpius region. If you find a moth that is not Counting the number of individuals Moths are a major food source Pollination Herbivores: animals that eat plants Acknowledgements Tāne asks his brother “What will we constellation. in this guide, this may be because of each species gives us more for other insects and native Nocturnal: active at night The text, content, and design are by the Ahi Pepe be eating, brother?” At this, Rēhua it is rare, a range extension (not information than just a list of the MothNet project partners: Dr Barbara J Anderson, birds. Unfortunately, they are Community: species in an area shakes his head and two kōkō/ Wairua Tangata - normally found in this place), a species present. This quantitative Komene Cassidy, Victoria Campbell, Dr Robert Hoare, also an important food source for Ecosystem tūi fall from his hair. Tāne refuses ‘The Spirit of a Person’ ‘micro-moth’, an introduced species information helps to detect change Tiahuia Kawe-Small, Tahu MacKenzie, Dr Ralf Ohlemüller, introduced pests like mice, rats, and Health Tangiwai Rewi, Dr Priscilla Wehi and Emma Burns. Illustrations to eat the birds as they have been or a new species. Please let us know. over time or between places. A common held belief was that the hedgehogs. 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. Tāne asks if he can return to earth We can use know what The moth images are photographs by Birgit Rhode of would be reincarnated as a moth. Moths can also be pests with the birds. Rēhua agrees, and science to we have so specimens in the NZAC, taken with funding from the Hīhue (the kūmara moth, Agrius understand Terrestrial Freshwater Biodiversity Information System says that the birds will live in the Moths are an important part of we can convolvuli) had a large impact ecosystem (TFBIS) programme. trees, and feed on the fruits of the New Zealand’s biodiversity better trees. When Rēhua shook his head on kūmara crops and there are 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: 978-0-947525-35-4 (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. Taxonomy “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 Hepialidae Microdes epicryptis Microdes quadristrigata N O T E : h e n p i n t e d Aenetus virescens Pseudocoremia leucelaea Pseudocoremia monacha Helicoverpa armigera M etera a iatmeta M etera a lev i N O T O C A E f t h e r o t h s. m a g e ‘Hydriomena’ deltoidata M etera a e orata a n d s a l e a r s o w n e r e t 5 % f Bityla defigurata a c t u a l s z e . C hala tra ari tar ha ‘Hydriomena’ rixata Orthoclydon praefectata P a iphila ili eolata Meterana ochthistis M etera a pa s i olor Pseudocoremia rudisata Agrotis innominata Agrotis ipsilon C leora c riptaria Pseudocoremia productata Agrotis munda 1cm Pasiphila inductata Pasiphila lunata P a iphila melo hlora Aenetus virescens Meterana stipata Meterana vitiosa M y thim a eparata Pseudocoremia suavis D iar ia i termi ta Austramathes purpurea D e la a atro i ea D e la a hermio e Chalastra pellurgata P a iphila pli thi a Pasiphila sphragitis Phrissogonus laticostatus P a iphila emo hlora Sestra humeraria Proteuxoa tetronycha Sarisa muriferata Sestra flexata P oe ila then a c hi taria Declana floccosa Pasiphila testulata Austramathes fortis Cosmodes elegans eredayia graminosa Proteuxoa sanguinipuncta Poecilasthena pulchraria Poecilasthena subpurpureata Wiseana signata Dumbletonius unimaculatus Anachloris subochraria A s apho es eata A s apho es hlamy d ota Austrocidaria similata Tato oma alta Spodoptera litura Tmetolophota arotis Tmetolophota atristriga H i n d w i n g s n d b d o m e n n i v e o t h r e u c h e e p r p r p i s e d . Declana junctilinea G rapha ia c hloro o ta Graphania infensa Graphania lignana Tato oma le tev ata Tatosoma tipulata Tato oma tra s itaria Austrocidaria gobiata D e la a leptomera Ischalis gallaria Austrocidaria bipartita Tato oma topea Graphania insignis Sphingidae Tmetolophota hartii Tmetolophota purdii Tmetolophota semivittata G rapha ia sp. r ple a ‘Chloroclystis’ filata Xyridacma ustaria Agrius convolvuli Elvia glaucata Scopula rubraria Austrocidaria parora Gellonia pannularia G ello ia ej e taria Erebidae Graphania ustistriga Graphania mutans Tmetolophota steropastis Tmetolophota sulcana Thysanoplusia orichalcea Epiphryne undosata Epiphryne verriculata Epyaxa lucidata Schrania costaestrigalis D a y po ia y mato e G rapha ia ple a I s c hali aria ili C hry s o ei i erio oma Ctenoplusia albostriata Ctenoplusia limbirena Epyaxa venipunctata E py a a ro earia Helastia cinerearia Saturniidae Nolidae Opodiphthera eucalypti I s c hali el o aria Pseudocoremia indistincta Pseudocoremia fenerata Helastia mutabilis Helastia cymozeucta Helastia semisignata Homodotis megaspilata P a t d ia par a R haps a c oto iali eucania stenographa M etera a al y o e M etera a oele o raba lugens.