''Epyaxa rosearia'', the New Zealand looper or plantain moth, is a

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

of the family

Geometridae The geometer moths are moths belonging to the family Geometridae of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies. Their scientific name derives from the Ancient Greek ''geo'' γεω (derivative form of or "the earth"), and ''met ...

.It is endemic to

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Taxonomy

''E. rosearia'' was first described by

Edward Doubleday Edward Doubleday (9 October 1810 – 14 December 1849) was an English entomologist primarily interested in Lepidoptera. He is best known for ''The Genera of Diurnal Lepidoptera: Comprising Their Generic Characters, a Notice of Their Habits and ...

in 1843 and named ''Cidaria rosearia''.

Description

The eggs of this species are pale yellow and oval with a smooth shell. Alex Purdie describes the caterpillar of this species as: The caterpillars form a chrysalis that is glossy and very dark brownish black. They can be found amongst the leaves of the forest floor. ''E. rosearia'' adults are varied in appearance. They can have a pinkish tinge or can be brownish in hue although olive green is also common.

Distribution

''E. rosearia'' are very common throughout New Zealand.

Host species

While it is endemic to New Zealand, the larvae have so far only been recorded feeding on exotic plant species: ''

Nasturtium officinale Watercress or yellowcress (''Nasturtium officinale'') is a species of aquatic flowering plant in the cabbage family Brassicaceae. Watercress is a rapidly growing perennial plant native to Europe and Asia. It is one of the oldest known leaf ve ...

'', ''

Plantago lanceolata ''Plantago lanceolata'' is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae. It is known by the common names ribwort plantain, narrowleaf plantain, English plantain, ribleaf, lamb's tongue, and buckhorn. It is a common weed on c ...

'', ''

Trifolium ambiguum ''Trifolium ambiguum'', the kura clover or Caucasian clover, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is native to Ukraine, Crimea, south European Russia, the North Caucasus, northern Caucasus, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran, and has be ...

'', ''

Trifolium repens ''Trifolium repens'', the white clover, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the bean family Fabaceae (otherwise known as Leguminosae). It is native to Europe, including the British Isles,Clapham, A.R., Tutin, T.G. and Warburg., E.F. 1968. ''Excursio ...

'' and ''

Tropaeolum majus ''Tropaeolum majus'', the garden nasturtium, nasturtium, Indian cress or monks cress, is a species of flowering plant in the family Tropaeolaceae, originating in the Andes from Bolivia north to Colombia. An easily-grown annual or short-lived pere ...

''. The larvae also seem to feed on the leaves of ''

Trifolium caucasicum Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (from Latin ''tres'' 'three' + ''folium'' 'leaf'), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus h ...

''.

Interaction with humans

A recent study suggests this moth may be assisting with the pollination of

avocado The avocado (''Persea americana'') is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to the Americas and was first domesticated by Mesoamerican tribes more than 5,000 years ago. Then as now it was prized for i ...

trees.

References

Xanthorhoini Moths of New Zealand Endemic fauna of New Zealand Moths described in 1843 Taxa named by Edward Doubleday Endemic moths of New Zealand {{Xanthorhoini-stub