Notoreas atmogramma

This species was described by Edward Meyrick in 1911 using material collected by George Hudson at Mount Holdsworth in the Tararua Range at an altitude of approximately 1200m.[1][2] Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 publication The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[3] The lectotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[1]

Notoreas atmogramma observed on Mount Holdsworth

Meyrick described the species as follows:

♀︎. 25-27 mm. Head, palpi, and thorax black, mixed with whitish-ochreous-yellowish hairs and scales. Abdomen black, mixed on sides with whitish-yellow, segmental margins slenderly whitish. Forewings triangular, costa straight, apex obtuse, termen rounded, rather oblique ; dark fuscous, with a few scattered pale - yellowish scales ; lines cloudy, light - yellowish, subbasal, first (and second partially) whitish, first curved, median very indefinite, second angulated in middle, subterminal irregular : cilia white, basal half fuscous. Hindwings with termen rounded ; colour and markings as in forewings, but basal area irrorated with pale yellowish, subbasal and first lines obsolete, second somewhat bent in middle : cilia as in forewings. Under-surface of all wings light ochreous-yellow ; first and second lines indistinctly indicated by whitish suffusion ; forewings with some incomplete cloudy blackish lines ; hindwings with a blackish discal mark.[2]

Mount Holdsworth, Tararua Range

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[4][5] Along with Mount Holdsworth, this species has been found at Mount Taranaki,[6] the Pouakai Range in Taranaki,[7] and Lewis Pass.[8]

This species is on the wing in January and February.[3] It is an alpine moth that is active during the day.[3]

The species frequents open grass alpine habitat.[3] Larvae of species within the genus Notoreas feed exclusively on plants within the genera Pimelea and Kelleria.[9]