Notoreas perornata

This species was first described in 1863 by Francis Walker using material collected in either Hawkes Bay or Taupo by William Colenso and named Fidonia perornata.[1][3][2] In 1884 Meyrick placed this species within the genus Pasithea.[4] In 1886 Meyrick renamed the genus to which he had previously assigned this species and placed it within the genus Notoreas.[5] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species both in his 1898 book New Zealand Moths and Butterflies (Macro-lepidoptera) using the name Notoreas perornata and again in his 1928 book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[6][7] In the later case Hudson followed Louis Beethoven Prout and used the name Lythria perornata.[8][2] John S. Dugdale regarded the 1898 illustrations as not a good match but approved of the illustration done by Hudson in 1928.[2] The genus Notoreas was reviewed in 1986 by R. C. Craw and the placement of this species within it was confirmed.[9]

In 2010 Brian Patrick, Robert Hoare and Birgit Rhode studied this species and others in its complex and discussed the taxonomy of the species.[10] However species within the genus Notoreas are currently regarded as being in need of revision and in particular this species is regarded as needing more taxonomic work.[11][10] The holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[2]

Walker originally described the species as follows:

Male. Black, pilose, whitish cinereous beneath. Frontal tuft prominent. Palpi lanceolate, very pilose, as long as the breadth of the head; third joint conical, minute. Antennae moderately pectinated. Thorax with a white streak on each of the tegulae. Abdomen with luteous speckles; hind borders of the segments white. Fore wings hardly acute, with a slight cupreous tinge and with five luteous partly whitish bands; firsthand straight; second, third and fourth undulating; fifth macular; under side luteous, with five cupreous-black bands. Hind wings luteous, with three undulating cupreous-black bands; exterior border cupreous-black; under side partly white, with the lines accompanied by cupreous-black speckles. Length of the body ​1 ¹⁄₃ lines; of the wings 10 lines.[3]

N. perornata is endemic to New Zealand.[1][12] This species is found in the North Island from Northland to Westland and in the South Island on the coast in Marlborough.[10]

The female moth lays her eggs within the flower buds of their host plant.[13] When the larvae emerge from their eggs, they eat into the leaves or buds of their host, hiding from predators.[13] Once they are large enough, they emerge to feed from the fresh growth of the plant.[13] N. perornata pupate in a loose cocoon on the ground under their host.[13] N. perornata has two generations each year with adults on the wing in the months of October to November and March to April.[10] However, in the northern parts of New Zealand this species may be multivoltine.[10] N. perornata are day-flying moths.[13] They are low but fast flyers and constantly vibrate their wings to enable them to take off rapidly.[13]

The host plants for the larvae of N. perornata are endemic species of Pimelea.[10]