Pasiphila cotinaea

This species was first described in 1913 by Edward Meyrick and named Chloroclystis cotinaea.[4] Meyrick collected the type specimen in March 1883 in Masterton.[4] This specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[3] George Hudson discussed this species in 1928 in his book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand stating that no other examples of this moth had yet been found.[5] In 1931 Meyrick, thinking he was describing a new species, again described and naming it Chloroclystis tornospila.[3] Meyrick used a specimen collected by George Hudson in the Tongariro National Park which is also held at the Natural History Museum, London.[3][6] In 1939 Hudson illustrated this moth in A Supplement to the Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[7] Hudson also illustrated what he believed to be the female of the species in 1950.[8] In 1971 John S. Dugdale placed C. cotinaea within the genus Pasiphila.[9] C. tornospila was synonymised with P. cotinaea in 1988 by Dugdale.[3]

Pasiphila cotinaea by George Hudson

Meyrick described this species as follows:

♂. 23 mm. Palpi ​2 ¹⁄₂. Antennal ciliations ​3 ¹⁄₂. Abdomen with dark-fuscous subbasal band. Forewings triangular, termen bowed, oblique, sinuate just above tornus; light pinkish-fuscous, striated with fuscous, towards costa and termen suffused with pale dull green, veins pale-greenish marked with dark fuscous; median band hardly defined; a narrow dark-fuscous spot preceding subterminal stria above tornus: cilia fuscous, base spotted with dark fuscous. Hindwings moderate, termen rather unevenly rounded, sinuate above tornus; light grey, towards dorsum tinged with pale-greenish and striated with dark-fuscous irroration; a dark-grey roundish discal dot: cilia whitish-grey.[4]

The larvae of this species are green, red and white lined.[10]

P. cotinaea is endemic to New Zealand.[2][11] It is known from the middle of the North Island down as far south as Southland and is abundant in the eastern part of the South Island.[10] However they have not been found in eastern Otago.[10] This species is regarded as being rare.[12]

Adults are on wing from November to April and are most common in April.[10] There may be two generations per year.[10] Hudson mentions that he collected a specimen that was attracted to light.[8]

Olearia odorata

The preferred habitat of this lowland species are forested valleys and associated shrublands.[13] The larvae feed on the flowers of various small-leaved Olearia species including O. odorata, O. bullata, O. laxiflora, O. fimbriata, O. hectorii and O. virgata.[10][14]