Flax leaves showing notches made by caterpillars
- Pūtoi
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Whānau
- Family
- Noctuidae
Te Rahi
- E 40 mm te whānui mai i te pito o tētahi parirau ki tētahi.
Size range
- Wingspan of moth up to 40 mm
Te Tītaringa
- He momo māori. Kitea ai i ngā whenua e pātata ana ki te repo.
Distribution
- Native species. Seen near swamps.
Te Huringa Ora
- Kai ai ngā anuhe kōwhai–parauri i ngā rau pūhou o te harakeke (Phormium tenax), me te aha, he kāniwha ka mahue iho ki ngā tapa.
- He oho pō, he haere pō ngā anuhe.
Life history
- Brown–yellow caterpillars feed on young flax (Phormium tenax) leaves, leaving notches along the edges
- Caterpillar activity is nocturnal
![Flax notch moth [Tmetolophota steropastis] (female) Image](/assets/Tools-And-Resources/Identification/What-is-this-bug/tmetolophota_steropastis_f1__ScaleWidthWzEwMjRd.jpg)
![Flax notch moth [Tmetolophota steropastis] (male) Image](/assets/Tools-And-Resources/Identification/What-is-this-bug/tmetolophota_steropastis_m1__ScaleWidthWzEwMjRd.jpg)
