Mnesictena pantheropa

Mnesictena pantheropa is a moth in the family Crambidae.[1] It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1884. It is endemic to New Zealand,[2] where it has been recorded from the Chatham Islands.[3][4]

The wingspan is 25–26 mm. The forewings are orange, variably mixed with reddish-fuscous or dark fuscous, especially on the veins and some specimens are wholly suffused with fuscous. The extreme costal edge is sometimes whitish in the middle. The markings are reddish-brown, mixed or suffused with dark grey and there is a suffusion along the basal part of the costa, sometimes extending basally to the dorsum. The first line is irregularly curved and the second denticulate, forming a strong subquadrate loop inwards below the middle, the space between them wholly suffused with dark except along the costa and on a band preceding the upper half of the second line. Sometimes, there is a sharply defined irregular transverse or rhomboidal clear white discal spot at the middle. There is a moderate terminal fascia, suffusedly projecting inwards opposite the loop of the second line. The hindwings are whitish-yellowish, becoming whitish towards the costa. The dorsal area is suffused with grey and there are two dark grey discal dots very obliquely placed. Sometimes, there is a grey postmedian line. The terminal fascia is suffused dark grey, sometimes very narrow or obsolete except at the apex and there is a terminal series of dark grey dots.[5]