Xanthorhoe orophylloides

This species was first described by Hudson in 1909 using specimens collected at the North Arm of Carnley Harbour at the Auckland Islands and also at Campbell Island.{{Cite Q|Q56518628|pages=68}} In 1928 Hudson, in his seminal work The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, again discussed and illustrated this species.{{Cite Q|Q58593286|pages=110}} In 1971 J. S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Helastia.{{Cite Q|Q64006453}} The genus Helastia was restricted by R. C. Craw in 1987 placing this species into the genus Xanthorhoe.{{Cite Q|Q54670161}} This placement was accepted in 1988 by Dugdale.{{Cite Q|Q45083134|pages=191}} The male holotype specimen, collected at Carnley Harbour, is held at Te Papa.

File:Fig 38 MA I437612 TePapa Plate-XIII-The-butterflies full (cropped).jpg

Hudson described this species as follows:

{{Blockquote|The expansion of the wings is {{frac|1|1|2}} in. The head is brownish-grey. The antennae are moderately bipectinated. The thorax and abdomen are pale grey, the latter with the segmental divisions dull ochreous; there are also two black dots on the back of each segment. The forewings are rather narrow, with the apex somewhat acute, and the termen slightly curved oblique, pale bluish-grey with pale brownish-black markings; a rather faint transverse line at about {{frac|1|3}} strongly marked on the cell by a cloudy wedge-shaped mark; a stronger transverse line at {{frac|3|4}} well marked by a series of dark marks on each of the veins, those nearest the cell being considerably larger than the rest; a fairly distinct terminal shading of dark grey and a large wedge-shaped pale apical area; the median hand generally is paler and browner than the rest of the wing. The hindwings are pale grey. The cilia are greyish- white, with a few brownish-black scales only.}}X. orophylloides is similar in appearance to X. orophyla and Epyaxa rosearia but may be easily separated as X. orophylloides has narrower wings.

This species is endemic to New Zealand.{{Cite Q|Q45922947|pages=460}} It is found in the subantarctic islands including at the Auckland Islands and at Campbell Island.

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Category:Xanthorhoe

Category:Moths of New Zealand

Category:Moths described in 1909

Category:Endemic fauna of New Zealand

Category:Taxa named by George Hudson

Category:Endemic moths of New Zealand

{{Xanthorhoini-stub}}