Austrocidaria callichlora, also known as the green Coprosma carpet moth, is a species of moth of the family Geometridae.[1] It endemic to New Zealand. This species is found in both the North and South Islands where it inhabits native shrubland and forest as well as tussock. Larvae feed on Coprosma species.
It was first described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1879 using specimens collected in the Wairarapa and named Cidaria callichlora.[2] George Hudson described and illustrated this species under the name Hydriomena callichlora in both his 1898 book New Zealand moths and butterflies (Macro-lepidoptera) and his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[3] [4] In 1926 Charles E. Clarke described a new subspecies of this species Hydriomena callichlora harmonica.[5] Hudson synonymised this subspecies in his 1928 publication. J. S. Dugdale states that the male holotype of this species was collected in Dunedin by F. W. Hutton and is held at that Natural History Museum, London.
Hudson described the larvae and pupa of this species as follows:
When first describing this species and naming it Cidaria callichlora, Butler said the following:
The wingspan of adults is between 24 to 34 mm. Adults are variable in wing colouration. Some specimens sourced from Fiordland being particularly intensely coloured, with some featuring shades of blue and green on their wings.
A. callichlora is endemic to New Zealand and can be found on both the North and South Islands.[6] [7]
The adult of the species is on the wing from November to March. Adults have been observed resting on mossy tree-trunks with forewings folded back and their abdomen pointing upwards. Hudson pointed out that this resting position along with the crests on the thorax ensures the insect mimics a patch of moss. Hudson hypothesised that this species spends the winter months either hibernating as full grown larvae or as a pupa.
This species is found in native shrubland and forest as well as in tussock, commonly where its host plants are abundant. The larvae of A. callichlora feed on Coprosma species including Coprosma rotundifolia.