Eudonia steropaea explained

Eudonia steropaea is a species of moth of the family Crambidae.^[1] It was named by Edward Meyrick in 1884.^{[2] [3]} Meyrick gave a detailed description of this species in 1885.^[4] It is endemic to New Zealand.^[5]

The wingspan is 13–16 mm. The forewings are pale fuscous, irrorated with darker. There is a small blackish spot at the base of the inner margin and a straight black streak from the base to somewhat before the middle of the disc, almost meeting a triangular blackish blotch. The first line is indicated by an angulated darker posterior margin. The second line is white. The hindwings are grey-whitish, the hindmargin somewhat suffused with darker. Adults have been recorded on wing in January.

Hosts

It has been hypothesised that the hosts of this moth are species in the moss genus Campylopus including Campylopus introflexus.^[6]

Notes and References

1. 458.
2. Meyrick. Edward. 1884. Descriptions of New Zealand Micro-Lepidoptera. New Zealand Journal of Science. en. 2. 235–237. 27 January 2018. Biodiversity Heritage Library.
3. Dugdale. J. S.. Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa. Fauna of New Zealand. 1988. 14. 158. 27 January 2018. 27 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190127012448/https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/26324/FNZ14Dugdale1988.pdf. dead.
4. Meyrick. E.. Descriptions of New Zealand Microlepidoptera. IV. Scopariidae. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 1885. 17. 68–120. 27 January 2018. en.
5. Web site: Eudonia steropaea (Meyrick, 1884). www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. 27 January 2018.
6. Book: Glime, J. M. . Bryophyte Ecology . 2020 . 2 . 19 July 2020 . 10 . Chapters 12-14.