''Elachista gerasmia'' is a species of moth of the family Elachistidae that is found in New Zealand and south eastern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1889 from specimens collected in Hamilton, Makatoku in Hawkes Bay and in Invercargill. The male lectotype, collected in Hamilton, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.

Description

The wingspan is 9–14 mm. The forewings are light grey or sometimes grey-whitish. There is a black dot on the fold in the middle, and an elongate black dot in the disc at two-thirds. The hindwings are grey.

Distribution

This species is found in both the North and South Islands of New Zealand as well as in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania.

Hosts and habitat

''Elachista gerasmia'' inhabits damp swampy habitat. The larvae of this species are leaf miners. Larval hosts include plant species in the genus '' Juncus'' including ''

Juncus australis ''Juncus australis'' is a species of rush known by the common names austral rush, leafless rush and wīwī. The species is native to south-eastern Australia and New Zealand, where it can be found around bodies of water. Its habitat is wet or s ...

'', '' Juncus pallidus'' and ''

Juncus usitatus ''Juncus usitatus'', the common rush, is a species of flowering plant in the rush family, Juncaceae. A graceful, clumping plant growing from 40 cm to 1.1 metres high. Commonly found in New Zealand and eastern Australia in disturbed sites by ...

''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5352748 Moths described in 1889 gerasmia Moths of Australia Moths of New Zealand Taxa named by Edward Meyrick