Ichneutica mutans, commonly known as the New Zealand cutworm or the grey-brown cutworm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This moth endemic to New Zealand and can be found throughout New Zealand, including from Three Kings Islands down to Stewart Island. However this species is not found in the Chatham Islands. The adult moths are on the wing all year round. I. mutans is variable in appearance and can be confused with similar species in the same genus. As a result of the variety of host species consumed by the larvae of the species, including such crops as turnips, wheat and apples, this species is regarded as an agricultural pest. However between the early 1960s and late 1980s the population of I. mutans was shown to have decreased significantly, by over 80%, at two study sites.
Ichneutica insignis is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species is found throughout New Zealand, although it appears to be scarce in inland sites of tussock grasslands. The adults are on the wing throughout the year. It is a variable species and as such can be easily confused with I. skelloni and I. plena. The larvae of this species have been recorded as feeding on Trifolium pratense.
Ichneutica ustistriga is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found from the Three Kings Islands to Stewart Island. This species lives in a wide variety of habitats including domestic gardens, horticultural areas, orchards, native and exotic grasslands, as well as native forest. The larvae eat a variety of herbaceous plants. Recorded food plants include Muehlenbeckia australis, Muehlenbeckia complexa, Olearia hectorii, and Plantago lanceolata. This moth has a mauvish grey wing colour and is unlikely to be confused with other species as the patterns on its forewing are distinctive. This species is on the wing throughout the year and is attracted to both sugar and light traps. Adult moths can be found at rest on fences and tree trunks during the day.
Ichneutica mollis is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found from the Coromandel peninsular and Mount Te Aroha southwards including in the South and Stewart Islands. It lives in a variety of habitats including mountainous beech forest, podocarp forest and also grasslands. The larvae feed on grasses and herbs. The adults of this species are on the wing from October to March and are attracted to light and feed on blossoms.
Ichneutica morosa is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the southern parts of the North Island and throughout the South Island. I. morosa is common in the eastern parts of both those islands and also in Fiordland. I. morosa can be found from altitudes ranging from lowlands to the alpine zone. I. morosa is absent from the range of its closely related species I. mustulenta, that is from the northern North Island. The larvae of I. morosa are known to feed on Poa astonii and also on other Poa species including introduced species. As well as its standard form the adult moths have a grey colour morph with the head and thorax being a grey and mottled brown, and the forewing being a pale greyish ochreous to a deep brown, suffused with grey. I. morosa can be confused with I. mustulenta and I. lignana. Adults are on the wing from November to April.
Ichneutica nullifera is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and can be found in the Tongariro National Park, along the Wellington coast and throughout the South Island. The adults are large and the forewing of adults can vary in colour from pale fawn to dark grey. The larvae are coloured a bright yellow-brown with a paler underside. The larval host species are in the genus Aciphylla and as a result the adult moths are often found in habitat dominated by species in this genus. Adults are on the wing from November to early April and are sometimes attracted to light.
Ichneutica olivea is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the central North Island down to the central South Island. It is very similar in appearance to I. lindsayorum but has a shorter basal streak and has white scaling from the subterminal line on the forewings that I. lindsayorum lacks This species prefers shrubland habitat. The life history of I. olivea is unknown as are the host species of its larvae. The adults are on the wing from December to March and are attracted to light.
Ichneutica omicron is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and found only in the middle and lower parts of the North Island. It is very similar in appearance to its sister species Ichneutica barbara. The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of the larvae. The adults are on the wing in November and December. This species is classified as "At Risk, Naturally Uncommon" by the Department of Conservation.
Ichneutica pagaia is a moth of the family Noctuidae. I. pagaia is endemic to New Zealand and can only be found on the Snares Islands. This species is unlikely to be confused with moths with a similar appearance as it is the only noctuid found in the Snares Islands. Its preferred habitat is tussock grasslands and the hosts for its larvae are likely Poa astonii and Poa tennantiana. Adults of this species are on the wing from November to February.
Ichneutica petrograpta is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand where it is found in the southwest districts of the South Island, including Westland, Otago Lakes and Fiordland. It is very similar in appearance to I. mutans. It inhabits tussock and shrubland in the alpine to subalpine zones. Adults of I. petrograpta are on the wing from December to February and are attracted to sugar traps. The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of its larvae.
Ichneutica oliveri is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand, found only in the South Island. However it has not been observed on the eastern side of that island from mid-Canterbury southwards to Southland. This species is distinctive and is unlikely to be confused with other closely related species. It inhabits tussock grasslands, shrubland as well as granite sand plains, all in the alpine zone. Adults are on the wing from December to March and are attracted to light. They have been observed feeding on the flowers of Hebe species. The life history of this species is unknown as are the larval hosts.
Ichneutica scutata is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species can be found in the southern parts of the North Island as well as the eastern parts of the South Island. It is similar in appearance to I. insignis and I. skelloni but can be distinguished as I. scutata is much paler in appearance. It is likely this species inhabits lowland tussock grasslands as well as coastal dunes although it is not common in inland tussock grasslands. The larvae feed on a variety of herbaceous plants such as Plantago and Convolvulus species, Plagianthus divaricatus. It pupates on soil near its host plants. The adults are on the wing from late March to July.
Ichneutica blenheimensis is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found throughout the North, South and the Stewart Islands. This species appears to prefer drier eastern localities and is rarely collected in western North Island forested areas. It does not appear to be frequently collected in inland dry tussock grassland habitats. The host plant for the larvae of this species is likely to be the golden sand sedge pīngao which is now absent from the moths type locality. However Chappell has raised very young larvae on grass species and the more developed larvae consumed Phormium tenax. Adults are on the wing from November to March and are attracted to both light and sugar traps. The blackish forewing fringes are diagnostic of this species. But worn specimens of I. arotis can be confused with worn specimens of I. blenheimensis. However I. arotis can be distinguished from I. blenheimensis as it has a scale-tuft on the thorax and dark longitudinal stripes on the tegula. This species is classified as "At Risk, Naturally Uncommon" by the Department of Conservation.
Ichneutica averilla is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species is found in the North Island at Mount Taranaki but is widespread throughout the South Island and Stewart Island. It prefers mountainous habitat but can be found down to sea level in the southern parts of the South Island. Adults of the species are on the wing between November and March. Larvae likely exist on a variety of herbaceous plants but have been recorded as feeding on species within the genus Plantago. This species is sometimes confused with I. mutas but can be distinguished from the latter on the basis of forewing colour as well as the absence of or an indistinct antemedian forewing line.
Ichneutica agorastis is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. This moth is similar in appearance to two other species in the genus but can be distinguished through the colour and size of its forewings. This species is found in the South Island and Stewart Island in open habitats in the subalpine zone. However, in Southland I. agorastis can be found down to sea-level. Adult moths are on the wing between January and April. The life history and host species are unknown.
Ichneutica marmorata is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and can be found in the North Island at the Tongariro National Park and at Puketitiri near the Kaweka Range. In the South Island it is widespread. It prefers alpine to subalpine habitat but occurs down to sea level altitudes in more southern locations. Adults are on the wing from late October to February. Larvae of this species may use tussock grasses in the genus Chionochloa as their host and they have been reared on Festuca novae-zelandiae.
Ichneutica disjungens is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and can be found on the central volcanic plateau of the North Island and in the eastern as well as the south western parts of the South Island. I. disjungens inhabits tussock grasslands in the alpine and subalpine zones. The hosts of the larvae of this species include Poa cita, P. colensoi, and Festuca novae-zelandiae. The adults of this species are distinctive and are unlikely to be confused with other species. They are on the wing between October and March.
Ichneutica erebia is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and is found on Campbell Island and the Auckland Islands. Adults of this species are on the wing from August to January. The adults are variable in appearance but can be distinguished from similar species by the patters or lack thereof on their forewings. The larvae of I. erebia are polyphagous and hosts include Pleurophyllum criniferum, species within the genera Stilbocarpa and Carex, as well as Chionochloa antarctica, Urtica australis and Raukaua simplex.
Ichneutica brunneosa is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. It can be found in the North Island from Mount Te Aroha and in the South Island from the Coromandel to Stewart Island. However it appears to not be present in the centre of the South Island. The distinctive colour and patterns on the forewing of this species ensures it is unlikely to be confused with similar species. It inhabits native forests with higher rainfall and is attracted to mercury vapour light traps. The life history of I. brunneosa is unknown as are the host species of its larvae but the adults of the species are on the wing from October to January.
Ichneutica paracausta is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is found locally in the central North Island, is widespread in the South Island and can also be found in Stewart Island. I. paracausta is variable in colour, but as it has a distinctive black streak on its forewing as well as a wing pattern that is characteristic, I. paracausta is unlikely to be confused with other species. It is present on the North Island volcanic plateau as well as Little Bush Reserve in Hawkes Bay in the North Island as well as in tussock grassland, alpine and subalpine shrubland and in alpine forest. Larvae have been recorded as feeding on grasses, a pupa has been found in a cocoon under the bark of a tree and adult moths are on the wing from October to January.
