Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Poecilasthena schistaria

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Kingdom
  
Animalia

Class
  
Insecta

Family
  
Geometridae

Phylum
  
Arthropoda

Order
  
Lepidoptera

Genus
  
Poecilasthena

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.

The larvae feed on Leptospermum scoparium. 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. Pupation takes place in a slight cocoon below the surface of the earth.

References

Poecilasthena schistaria Wikipedia