It is estimated that there are over 2000 species of moth in NZ. This table lists some of the families of moths found in NZ, with an estimate of the number of NZ species. Introduced species are included in brackets.
Common Name | Family | notes | NZ Species |
Ghost Moths | Hepialidae | Ghost moths don’t have a mouth and don’t live very long. | ~28 |
Looper Moths | Geometridae | One of the largest moth families and closely related to butterflies. | 280+ |
Owlet Moths | Noctuidae | fat dull moths, often with eye spots on the wings. | 170+ |
Hawk Moths | Sphingidae | Strong fliers with long narrow front wings. | 1(?) |
Emperor Moths | Saturniidae. | Large, fat, and hairy, with no mouth. | 0 (2) |
Bag Moths | Psychidae | The caterpillars spend their whole life in a bag like structure. | 50+ |
Snout Moths | Pyraloidea | Pearl Moths (Pyralidae) and Grass Moths (Crambidae) are also grouped together as Snout Moths (Pyraloidea) because their palps often stick out in front making a “snout”. | 255+ |
Leafrollers | Tortricidae | Also known as “bell moths” because of their shape with folded wings. Includes the Codling Moth (Cydia pomonella) | ~185 |
Tiger Moths | Arctiidae | These are often brightly coloured and day flying, sometimes mistaken for butterflies. This family includes the Magpie Moth (Nyctemera amica) and Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae). | 8 |
Clothes Moths | Tineidae | Small narrow moths. Many eat wool, hence the name. | 100+ |
Litter Moths | Oecophoridae | Small moths whose caterpillars eat dead wood and leaves. | ~ 260 |
Flat Moths | Depressariidae | Small flat bodied moths. | ~ 15 |
Tussock Moths | Lymantriidae | Like an owlet moth only hairier. No native species, however the Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar), Painted Apple Moth (Teia anartoides), and Whitespotted Tussock Moth (Orgyia thyellina) have been seen here. | 0 (3?) |
Burnet Moths | Zygaenidae | Many look like wasps. No natives in NZ, but the Bamboo Moth (Artona martini) was discovered near Whangarei in the 1990s. | 0(1?) |
Cabbage Moths | Plutellidae | small caterpillars live inside plants | ~40 |
Snoutlet Fruit Moths | Carposinidae | Small with a long ‘snout’. | ~25 |
Plume Moths | Pterophoridae | Small delicate moths. thin legs, body, and wings. | 20+ |
Leaf Moths | Thyrididae | Patterned to look like leaves | 1 |
Clearwing Moths | Sesiidae | Transparent wings | 1 |
Leafminer Moths | Gracillariidae, Lyonetiidae, Nepticulidae |
Micro moths. | ~60 |
References and further reading
Crowe, Andrew. (2002). Which New Zealand Insect? Penguin Books. ISBN: 0141006366
What is this bug? A guide to common invertebrates of New Zealand.