Meterana exquisita

This species was first described and illustrated by Alfred Philpott in 1903 and was given the name Melanchra exquisita.[1] Philpott used a male specimen he collected at West Plains in Southland in December.[4] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[5] In 1988 John S. Dugdale placed this species within the genus Meterana.[2] The hototype specimen is held at the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.[2]

The larvae of this species are large, angular and green coloured with thin red and white lines.[6]

Philpott originally described the male of the species as follows:

♂︎. 32 mm. Head and palpi greenish ; tips of palpi and outward surfaces blackish ; two linear black marks on crown of head. Antennae brownish, shortly bipectinated. Legs greenish, annulated with black. Thorax with moderate bifid anterior and posterior crest ; green, with black irregular V-shaped mark, the apex towards head. Abdomen dull-yellowish, anal segments black ; also blackish on sides of segments, and dorsal series of black spots. Fore wings : Costa almost straight, apex rounded ; termen not crenulate, obliquely rounded, bright-green, black suffusion from base obliquely towards dorsum, terminating in oblique black white-margined upwardly bent projection at 1⁄4; distinct white irregularly black-margined line from costa near base to black suffusion, irregular interrupted white -margined black line from about 1⁄4 of costa to before 1⁄2 of dorsum, several irregular projections at middle of wing, and upper half of line forked ; irregular black outwardly white-margined band at 1⁄2, outwardly oblique to middle of wing, thence inwardly oblique to dorsum, on which broadly and irregularly clavate ; costa with alternate black and white dots ; reniform spot obscurely outlined in black, edged with white ; dentate black line beyond reniform, indentations filled with white ; strong subterminal black line, interrupted above and below middle, broadly and suffusedly white-margined. Cilia green, barred with black, and with an indistinct darker line. Hind wings pale greenish-yellow, with brownish suffusion on apical portion ; an irregular line at 2⁄3 , and discal spot of same colour. Cilia pale-green.[4]

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[7] M. exquisita has occurred in Auckland, Waikato, Taupō, Whanganui, Wairarapa, Nelson, South Canterbury, Mackenzie country, Central Otago, Otago Lakes and Southland.[8] However this species is now locally extinct in its type locality of West Plains and is almost wiped out in Auckland.[8]

This species has only one generation a year.[9] The larvae are bright green coloured and as a result are well camouflaged when feeding on their host species.[9] Larvae feed for one month before they pupate.[9] M. exquisita are on the wing from August to December but are most common from September to October.[9] The species can fly for at least 800m from their nearest host plant.[6] This species has been collected at sugar traps.[4]

Host Olearia odorata

The plant host species for the larvae of M. exquisita are small-leaved Olearia species.[8][9] These include O. hectorii, O. odorata,[8] and O. bullata.[10]

This moth is classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification system as being "At Risk, Relict".[11] One of the reasons for this classification is that the habitat of this species is under threat from land development.[8] The elimination of the host plants of this species has resulted in their extinction from sites in New Zealand.[9]

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• page 76 Image of M. exquisita larvae