Ichneutica semivittata is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It can be found from the Three King Islands down to Stewart Island. The similar species I. sulcana can be distinguished from I. semivittata as the former is much larger, has a darker hindwing and abdomen and has only one to three spots located behind the middle of the forewing in comparison to the 8 or 9 of I. semivittata. This species lives in a variety of habitats from open grasslands to clearings in forest and at a range of altitudes from the sea level to the alpine zone. Larval host species include Juncus procera, Carex secta as well as on tussock grasses such as Poa cita, P. colensoi and Festuca novae-zelandiae. Adults of this species are on the wing from August to April and are attracted to light.
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 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 rubescens is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species can be found locally in the North Island but is widespread throughout the South Island and is present on both Stewart Island and the Auckland Islands. I. rubescens has a round or oval mark near the centre of the forewing that encloses a dot. This is diagnostic of this species. I. rubescens inhabits tussock grasslands, beech as well as podocarp forests. Larval hosts are likely herbaceous plants such as grasses and herbs and larvae have been reared on Gunnera prorepens. Adults of this species are on the wing from December to April and are attracted to light.
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 atristriga is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found through out the North, South and Stewart Islands. The larval hosts likely include tussock grasses included Poa cita, P. colensoi and Festuca novae-zelandiae. Larvae have been reared on species in the genera Bromus and Festuca. The adults of this species are on the wing from November to May. I. atristriga can possibly be confused with the smaller species I. propria. However I. atristriga has thorax and forewings that have a pinkish tinge and I. propria has a dark streak on the discal part of the forewing which I. atristriga lacks. A study has indicated that the population numbers of this species have decreased.
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.
Ichneutica phaula is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is found only in the South Island in the Nelson district, the eastern side of the South Island and Stewart Island. I. phaula inhabits tussock grasslands and coastal sand dunes. Host species include Ficinia spiralis, Ammophila arenaria, Poa cita and other "tussock grasses". The adults of this species are on the wing from October to December and are attracted to sugar traps. I. phaula is similar in appearance to both I. micastra, with whom it does not share a range, and I. sapiens which differs from I. phaula as I. sapiens is darker and has a more reddish tinge.
Ichneutica sulcana, the dark underwing wainscot, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found throughout the North, South and Stewart Islands at a range of altitudes from the lowlands to the alpine zone. This species prefers to live in native grass, shrub and wetland habitats as well as in native forest. The larval host plants of this species are forest grasses and sedges and larvae have been reared on Microlaena avenacea and species within the genus Carex. The larva pupates in the soil. Adults are on the wing from December to May but have also been recorded in August and September in the northern parts of the North Island. They are attracted to sugar traps as well as to light. I. sulcana and I. supersulcana are very similar in appearance but can be distinguished as there are differences in the male abdomen and genitalia of the two species. Also these two species do not appear to share a range as I. supersulcana seems to prefer to live at higher altitudes than I. sulcana. I. sulcana might also be confused with I. semivittata but I. sulcana is a larger species with a much darker abdomen and hindwing, and has only 1 to 3 dots on the forewing postmedian line.
Ichneutica unica is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the centre of the North Island and throughout the South Island. This moth is very similar in appearance to its close relatives Ichneutica phaula and Ichneutica toroneura. I. phaula can be distinguished as there is a difference in pectinations on the male antennae and I. toroneura can be distinguished as the black vein markings on the forewings is more uniform for that species in comparison to I. unica. I. unica is variable in appearance with the North Island specimens having a darker brown colour on the forewings and having a darker underside of the hindwings. This species inhabits open tussock grassland at various altitudes, coastal dunes, and inland volcanic dunes. Larvae feed on tussock grasses such as Chionochloa pallens and species in the genus Poa. Adult moths are on the wing from November to February and are attracted to both sugar and light traps.
Ichneutica toroneura is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species is similar to I. unica but can be distinguished from that species by the uniform black vein markings on the forewings of I. toroneura. It is also similar in appearance to I. acontistis but the base of the forewings of I. toroneura lack the dark stripe that can be found on the forewings of I. acontistis. The males of I. toroneura have longer pectinations on their antennae. I. toroneura is found in the centre of southern South Island in the tussock grasslands of Central Otago and the Mackenzie Basin. Larvae feed on tussock grasses Poa cita and Festuca novae-zelandiae. Adults are on the wing from November to January.
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 cuneata is a moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. I. cuneata is found in and around the Tongariro National Park in the North Island and throughout the South Island. Specimens found in Tongariro National Park tend to be darker in appearance than South Island specimens but as their colour is variable, and antennae and genitalia of both species are consistent, they are not now regarded as a separate species. I. cuneata inhabits tussock grasslands and shrublands in alpine and subalpine zones. The adults are on the wing from December to April and can be found flying during the day. The life history of I. cuneata is unknown as are the specific host species of its larvae. However larvae of I. cuneata are said to feed on herbaceous plants. The adults of this species also pollinate native species such as Myosotis macrantha.
Ichneutica ceraunias is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species is found from the central North Island to the bottom of the South Island. Hosts of the larvae are species of Chionochloa and Festuca. This colourful moth is variable in appearance and can be mistaken for Ichneutica dione. Adults are on the wing from October to February.
Ichneutica chryserythra is a moth of the family Noctuidae. Living specimens have distinctive violet red coloured forewings but can be distinguished from the similar species Ichneutica marmorata as it lacks the dark edge markings of the later species. I. chryserythra can only be found in the southern parts of the South Island. Adults are on the wing between November and January. The life history of the species and the host species of its larvae are unknown.
Ichneutica nobilia is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand and can be found in the South Island, although not in the Nelson, Dunedin or Southland regions. This species prefers rocky habitats in alpine zones and the blueish-grey sheen on the species' forewings help camouflage it. Adults of I. nobilia are on the wing from December to February and are attracted to light. The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of its larvae.
Ichneutica sistens is a moth of the family Noctuidae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. It can be found in the central North Island and throughout the South Island, although it is more common on the eastern side of that latter Island. It is very variable in both colour and size. I. sistens prefers open habitat such as tussock grasslands, dunes and braided rivers. Larval host species include grasses in the family Poaceae and include species in the genera Rytidosperma and Elymus, as well as Poa cita and Agrostis capillaris. Adults are on the wing from January to May and are attracted to light.
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.
