Moths

Moths

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