Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Oecophoridae | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Izatha | |
Izatha gekkonella is a moth of the Oecophoridae family. It is endemic to New Zealand, where it is only known from the region of the Taieri and Shag River catchments in eastern Otago.
The wingspan is 13.5–15.5 mm for males and 13.5–17 mm for females. Adults have been recorded in October, November and December.
Larvae have been recorded feeding on lichens on rock-faces, making a silken web amongst the lichens.
Etymology
The name gekkonella means "little gecko" and refers to the moth’s mottled and scaly appearance under the microscope, as well as its gecko-like fondness for rockfaces. Geckos are common and diverse in the region of the South Island favoured by I. gekkonella.
References
Izatha gekkonella Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA