Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Superfamily Noctuoidea Scientific name Metacrias strategica | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Family Erebidae Rank Species | |
Metacrias strategica is a species of moth of the family Erebidae. It is found in New Zealand, where it is known from the southern part of the South Island. It is found from coastal and forest-edge sites to the montane zone.
Adults males are brightly coloured and diurnal, while females are buff coloured and extremely short-winged. They remain within their cocoon for mating and egg-laying.
The larvae are polyphagous on grasses and herbs. They are hairy and brown. The larvae appear to overwinter in the larval and pupal stages, the adults having only a very brief life span of approximately 21 days confined to the summer months. Early instars feed during warm periods. The last larval instar lives in the cold winter months of June to August and is inactive and overwinters until warmer spring weather occurs. Because of individual variations in the duration of the larval instars, pupae too may overwinter.