Trigonistis anticlina

It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1901 using two specimens collected from Wellington by George Hudson.[2] This species was initially confused with the Australian species Hyperaucha octias (now known as Lithilaria proestans) however Meyrick corrected his and Hudson's error.[2][3] Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[4] In 1988 John S. Dugdale assigned this species to the genus Trigonistis.[1] The syntype specimens are held at the Natural History Museum, London.[1]

This species was described by Meyrick as follows:

♂♀. 24-28 m.m. Head and thorax pale whitish-ochreous, sprinkled with fuscous and dark fuscous. Forewings triangular, costa arched anteriorly, slightly sinuate in middle, termen oblique, waved, concave on upper half, obtusely angulated on vein 4 ; pale whitish-ochreous, irregularly sprinkled with fuscous or brownish-ochreous ; a short blackish line from costa almost at base ; first line irregularly dentate, blackish, more or less partially obsolete ; a rhomboidal spot of blackish-fuscous suffusion in disc above middle, above which are two short blackish-fuscous marks from costa ; space between this and second line forming an irregular suffused white spot ; costal edge above this dark fuscous dotted with whitish ; second line waved, whitish, interruptedly edged anteriorly with blackish, curved inwards on lower half; subterminal dentate, pale, edged with fuscous, space between second and subterminal lines on upper third filled with blackish -fuscous ; a terminal series of undefined dark fuscous dots : cilia fuscous-whitish, mixed with fuscous. Hindwings grey-whitish sprinkled with grey ; a faint pale curved postmedian line, darker-edged anteriorly.[2]

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[5] It is found in the North Island and the north of the South Island.[4] This species has been found to occur in and around National Park, Ohakune, Taihape, and its type locality of Wellington.[4] It has also been collected at Dawson's Falls at Egmont National Park.[6]

T. anticlina is on the wing from October to December.[2]

This species prefers dense forested ravine habitat.[2] It can be found amongst dead leaf litter or fern fronds.[4] The adults of the species has been found to be resident in leaf litter of kanuka (Kunzea ericoides) forest.[7] Larvae are suspected to feed on native leaf litter or fungi.[8]

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