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Identification tools
What is this bug?
Te pūrēhua noho tī
Cabbage tree moth
Epiphryne verriculata
Felder & Rogenhofer
Hoki ki te He aha tēnei pepeke?
Back to What is this bug?
Cabbage tree moth / Te pūrēhua noho tī (female)
Pūtoi
Order
Lepidoptera
Whānau
Family
Geometridae
Show in
English
Te Reo
Te Rahi
E 40 mm te whānui mai i te pito o tētahi parirau ki tētahi, ka whakangā ana.
Size range
Wingspan when at rest 40 mm
Te Tītaringa
He momo māori, kitea ai e noho ana ki ngā momo tī katoa.
Distribution
Native, found throughout the range of cabbage trees
Te Huringa Ora
Me kōrero tana kiri hunahuna – e rite pū ana ki te āhua o ngā rau mate o te tī.
Kai ai ngā anuhe i ngā rau pūhou o te tī (
Cordyline australis
) kāore anō i whewhera mai.
Kai ai ngā anuhe i te pō. Ko te mahuetanga iho, he kōhao, he kāniwha kei ngā rau i te whewheratanga mai.
Ka huri ngā anuhe hei ngeti i ngā otaota i te pūtake o te rākau.
Life history
Perfectly camouflaged on dead cabbage tree leaves
Caterpillars feed on the young unopened leaves of cabbage tree (
Cordyline australis
)
Nocturnal feeding activity leaves holes and notches in the expanding leaves
Caterpillars pupate amongst debris at base of tree trunk
He pārongo atu anō
Factsheet: Cabbage tree moth –
Epiphryne verriculata
Further information
Factsheet: Cabbage tree moth –
Epiphryne verriculata
Gallery
Caterpillar of the cabbage tree moth, Epiphryne verriculata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). Image: Tim Holmes © Plant & Food Research
Cabbage tree moth / Te pūrēhua noho tī (female)
Cabbage tree moth / Te pūrēhua noho tī (male)
Cabbage tree moth damage to leaves of a cabbage tree, Cordyline australis. Image: Nicholas A. Martin © Nicholas A. Martin
Notching by caterpillars of cabbage tree moth in leaves of cabbage tree. Image: Nicholas A. Martin © Plant & Food Research