''Pasiphila heighwayi'' 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 ...

in 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 found in

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 ...

. The species was described from the

Banks Peninsula Banks Peninsula is a peninsula of volcanic origin on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It has an area of approximately and encompasses two large harbours and many smaller bays and coves. The South Island's largest cit ...

and later found along the

Waitohi River The Waitohi River is a river of the north Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It initially flows northeast from its origins in the Puketeraki Range south of Lake Sumner before turning eastwards to reach the Hurunui River at the settl ...

.Lepidoptera of the Waitohi River Shrublands, North Canterbury
/ref> The larvae feed on the flowers of ''

Veronica traversii ''Veronica traversii'', synonym ''Hebe traversii'', is an ornamental plant of the family Plantaginaceae. It is endemic to the south island of New Zealand. The specific epithet ''traversii'' is in honor of naturalist Henry H. Travers (184 ...

''.

References

Moths described in 1927 heighwayi Moths of New Zealand {{Eupitheciini-stub