Heterocrossa cryodana is a species of moth in the family Carposinidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the southern parts of the South Island as well as at Codfish Island / Whenua Hou. This moth is associated with plants in the Leptospermum genus. Adults are on the wing from September until January.
This species was described by Edward Meyrick in 1885 using material collected in Dunedin and named Heterocrossa cryodana.[1] [2] In 1922 Meyrick synonymised Heterocrossa with Carposina.[3] [4] George Hudson, in his 1928 publication The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand, discusses this species under the name Carposina cryodana.[5] Alfred Philpott studied the male genitalia of this species in 1928.[6] In 1978 Elwood Zimmerman argued that the genus Heterocrassa should not be a synonym of Carposina as the genitalia of the species within the genus Heterocrassa are distinctive. In 1988 John S. Dugdale assigned the species back to the genus Heterocrossa.[7] The lectotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.
This species was described by Meyrick as follows:This species can be distinguished from other species in the same genus by the short black subcostal streak.
This species is endemic to New Zealand.[8] [9] It has been collected in Dunedin and Invercargill and Codfish Island / Whenua Hou.
This species is on the wing in September until January.[10] It is associated with Leptospermum species. Larvae of the species have been found on fruits.