Heterocrossa cryodana

This species was described by Edward Meyrick in 1885 using material collected in Dunedin and named Heterocrossa cryodana.[1][2] In 1922 Meyrick listed Heterocrossa as a synonym for Carposina.[3][4] George Hudson, in his 1928 publication The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand, discusses this species under the name Carposina cryodana.[5] Alfred Philpott studied the male genitalia of this species in 1928.[6] In 1978 Elwood Zimmerman argued that the genus Heterocrassa should not be a synonym of Carposina as the genitalia of the species within the genus Heterocrassa are distinctive.[3] In 1988 John S. Dugdale assigned the species back to the genus Heterocrossa.[7] The lectotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[7]

This species was described by Meyrick as follows:

Male, female. — 16-17 mm. Head and thorax white, slightly speckled with grey. Palpi in male moderate, in female long; lower half dark fuscous, upper half white. Antennae whitish. Abdomen and legs ochreous-whitish, anterior and middle pair dark fuscous except apex of joints. Fore-wings elongate, narrow, tolerably oblong, costa moderately arched, apex round-pointed, hindmargin straight, very oblique; white, densely irrorated with pale fuscous-grey; a short black streak from base beneath costa; tufts preceded by a few black scales; sometimes a thick irregular blackish longitudinal streak in disc, extending from 1⁄4—2⁄3; cilia white, densely irrorated with pale grey. Hindwings grey-whitish; cilia whitish.[2]

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[8][9] It has been collected in Dunedin and Invercargill and Codfish Island.[5][10]

This species is on the wing in September and November.[5] It is associated with Leptospermum species.[5] Larvae of the species have been found on fruits.[10]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Heterocrossa cryodana.

Wikispecies has information related to Heterocrossa cryodana.

• Image of lectotype specimen