Poecilasthena schistaria explained

Poecilasthena schistaria, the kanuka looper, is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is found in New Zealand.

The wings vary from very pale brown to rather dull purplish-brown with numerous jagged, darker transverse lines. Adults are on wing from October to April.^[1]

The larvae feed on Leptospermum scoparium.^[2] They are dull green with a white more or less black-edged band down each side. There is a thin central white line on the back, and a narrow yellow line half-way between it and the lateral white band. The head is dull green.^[3] Pupation takes place in a slight cocoon below the surface of the earth.

Notes and References

1. http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/g-v-george-vernon-hudson/new-zealand-moths-and-butterflies-macro-lepidoptera-hci/page-9-new-zealand-moths-and-butterflies-macro-lepidoptera-hci.shtml New Zealand moths and butterflies (Macro-Lepidoptera)
2. http://www.rodmorris.co.nz/New-Zealand-Invertebrates/New-Zealand-Invertebrates/13888831_wkTcGr/1228503300_rt4bHRP#!i=1228503300&k=rt4bHRP Rod Morris: New Zealand Invertebrates
3. http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_12/rsnz_12_00_002130.html Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 1868-1961