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 lignana is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species is found on the Three Kings Islands as well as the North, South and Stewart Islands. This species lives in a variety of habitats including coastal areas, tussock grasslands, shrublands, and native forest, at a range of altitudes from sea level to over 1300 m. I. lignana is quite distinctive in appearance with its dark markings on the abdomen and forewings although it is possible to confuse Ichneutica morosa, Meterana pansicolor and Meterana pascoi with this species. Adults are on the wing throughout the year in the northern parts of the New Zealand but are restricted to the months of October to April in the more southern parts of the country.
Ichneutica lissoxyla is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is found in the central and southern parts of the North Island and in most parts of the South Island. The species prefers snowgrass habitat in the alpine zone. I. lissoxyla is similar in appearance to I. paraxysta but can be distinguished as I. lissoxyla lack the black streaks on the forewings that can be found on the latter species and the male I. lissoxyla also has longer pectinations on antennae. The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of its larvae. Adults are on the wing from January to April and are attracted to the light.
Ichneutica lithias is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is a small moth but distinctive as a result of the markings on its forewings. Although this species is widespread in the South Island, it has only been collected in the Rangipo Desert in the North Island. The species prefers habitat that is scrubland ranging in altitude from coastal to alpine. Adults are on the wing from October to April and larvae have been collected and reared on the New Zealand endemic plant species Melicytus alpinus.
Ichneutica omoplaca is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is widespread from the Bay of Plenty in the North Island down to Southland in the South Island. Specimens have also been collected from the Auckland Islands. It lives in a variety of habitats including beech forest clearings and tussock grasslands. This species has been recorded that some of the larval hosts of this species include Poa cita, Dactylis glomerata and it has been reared on Plantago lanceolata. The larva is undescribed but pupae have been found in a pine plantation in soil under weeds. Adults of this species are on the wing from October to March. The adult moths are variable in appearance but the diagnostic feature is the pale ochreous to white colouring between the basal streak and the costa which contrasts with the ground colour of the forewing.
Ichneutica pelanodes is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been found in scattered locations in the North, South and Stewart Islands. I. pelanodes is easily confused with I. skelloni as the two species are visually extremely similar. In the North Island though the range of the two species appears not to overlap. Generally of the two species I. pelanodes tends to be darker in appearance. I. pelanodes inhabits wetlands but the life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of its larvae. Adults are on the wing from October to February and are attracted both to sugar and light traps.
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 acontistis is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found only in the South Island, mainly on the eastern side although not in the Nelson district. This species is similar in appearance to I. paraxysta,I. stulta and I. toroneura. I. acontistis is unlikely to be confused with I. paraxysta as the later is only found in the North Island. I. acontistis can be distinguished from I. stulta as the latter species has a strongly curved forewing edge where as I. acontistis' is straight. I. acontistis can be distinguished from I. toroneura as the former has a dark stroke of colour starting from the base of the forewing that I. toroneura lacks. I. acontistis inhabits tussock grasslands and the larvae of this species feed on species of grass found in the genera Poa, Elymus and Rytidosperma. It pupates under rocks and adults are on the wing from September to January. I. acontistis are attracted to light.
Ichneutica alopa is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the central and southern parts of the North Island as well as in the South Island. It inhabits tussock grasslands and wetlands and can occur at ranges from the alpine zone down to almost sea-level. The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of its larvae in the wild. Larvae of this species have been raised in captivity on Sphagnum moss as well as on species in the genus Raoulia. Adults of this species are on the wing from late January to April and are attracted to light and to sugar traps. I. alope can be confused with I. agorastis, I. micrastra or I. sapiens but the latter three species can be distinguished externally from I. alope through differences in size, forewing pattern and the antennae of the male of the species.
Ichneutica micrastra is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species has been found only in the North Island and has been collected in the Northland, Auckland, Whanganui and Wellington regions. The preferred habitat of this species is wetlands and heathlands including gum fields in Northland. Adults of this species are on the wing from October to December. The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of its larvae however it has been hypothesised that the likely larval host is a grass or grass like plant. This species is very similar in appearance to I. phaula and I. sapiens but can be distinguished as a result of differences in male antennae, the shape, colour and size of forewings, the range of the species as well as differences in genital shape.
Eudonia asaleuta is a moth of the family Crambidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1907. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been collected in the South Island in the West Coast, Fiordland,Canterbury, Otago and Southland regions. This species inhabits bare shingle areas as well as tussock habitat with few trees or scrub at altitudes of under 1000 m. Adults are on the wing from November to February.
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 paraxysta is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species is very similar in appearance to its close relative I. acontistis but as the range of the two species do not overlap this is unlikely to cause confusion. I. paraxysta is only found in the North Island at the subalpine zones in the Mount Taranaki region and at Mount Ruapehu. It prefers tussock grassland and shrubland habitat. The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of its larvae however it has been hypothesised that the larval host plants are species in the genera of Poa and Festuca.
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 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 bromias is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to the Chatham Islands of New Zealand where is found on the Chatham, Pitt and Rangatira Islands. This species is similar in appearance to Ichneutica mutans but is darker and duller in its overall appearance. However, as I. mutans is not present in the Chathams this similarity is unlikely to cause confusion. The adults of the species are on the wing from November to March. The life history and the larval host species are unknown.
Ichneutica chlorodonta, also known as the Green-toothed Owlet, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is found throughout the North, South and Stewart Islands and is associated with native forest and shrubland. It can be confused with similar looking species such as I. subcyprea however I. chlorodonta can be distinguished through differences in colouration of its fore and hind wings as well as the length of the male pectinations. The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of its larvae but adults of I. chlorodonta are on the wing from September to April.
Ichneutica sapiens is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. I. sapiens is found in the central North Island, in the South Island in Westland and also the southern parts of the South Island, and in Stewart Island. This species inhabits wetland habitat but its life history is unknown as are the host species of its larvae. The adult moths are on the wing between December and early January and are attracted to sugar traps and to light. I. sapiens is very similar in appearance to I. micrastra but is a smaller moth with a shorter wingspan, has differently formed antennae and slightly different forewing markings.
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.
