Wairarapa Moths: Jim O'Malley

5 February 2025

As many of you would have read in a recent magazine (Summer 2023-24) a team of volunteers regularly surveys moths at Mt Holdsworth in the Wairarapa, as well as having conducted one-off surveys at Cape Palliser, Castlepoint and Riversdale.

The three Mt Holdsworth surveys undertaken to date (July 2024, October 2024 and December 2024) have resulted in 170 species.  Most were found at the lower levels of Mt Holdsworth but 80 species were noted from subalpine and higher attitudes.

This is a baseline survey to ascertain the total species present and it is envisaged that the work will continue over the next several years with the hope that eventually some 350 species or more may be observed.

The Cape Palliser, Castlepoint and Riversdale surveys were to replicate the 2001/2002 study undertaken by Brian Patrick of the Wellington and Wairarapa coastlines, but this original study did not include Castlepoint and Riversdale.

Cape Palliser Report:

The weather Friday night 10 January was quite good, but on Saturday night 11 January there was simply nothing flying. It wasn't extremely windy or that cold, but the southerly and rain didn't help. They found 177 species compared to Patrick's 2001/2002 total of 208.

One of the species they were hoping to find was the beautiful Broom Flash (Pseudocoremia melinata), see image below.

Broom Flash (pseudocoremia Melinata) Christopher Stephens
Photo thanks Christopher Stephens

The biggest success (which they were not actually looking for) was finding the recently described Declana foxii. This is quite a 'discovery' as the species was not previously known here. It had been found once at Putangirua Pinnacles and at Lake Pounui to the west, and is otherwise only known from around Taranaki.

Declana Foxii Christopher Stephens
Photo thanks Christopher Stephens

The Castlepoint and Riversdale surveys were the first undertaken in those locations and results are being finalised but they found about 40 species from Castlepoint and 50 species from Riversdale.

The group would welcome more volunteers. Please email Jim at if interested in joining them.

They are finding a similar number of species at Cape Palliser as to the number in the 2001/2002 survey.  There are no baseline surveys to compare their results - another reason to do more lepidoptera surveys in the Wairarapa.

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