''Pasiphila melochlora'' 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

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

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 larvae feed on the foliage of ''

Clianthus maximus ''Clianthus maximus'', commonly known as kaka beak (''kōwhai ngutu-kākā'' in Māori), is a woody legume shrub native to New Zealand's North Island. It is one of two species of ''Clianthus'' (kaka beak) and both have striking clusters of re ...

''.E. K. Cameron
Kakabeak under attack
/ref>

References

External links

* * Moths described in 1911 melochlora Moths of New Zealand Endemic fauna of New Zealand Taxa named by Edward Meyrick Endemic moths of New Zealand {{Eupitheciini-stub