Green lichen tuft moth

Izatha peroneanella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Oecophoridae

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Green lichen tuft moth
Photo: Saryu Mae 前 朝琉, CC BY

The green lichen tuft moth has pale green forewings with raised black or brown-coloured scale tufts that help it blend into lichens. It lives in native forests of New Zealand, where its larvae bore into dead wood of many angiosperm trees.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

Adults show pale green forewings marked with raised black scales that can appear brown in some forms.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

Males have a wingspan of about 15 to 24.5 mm, while females range from 17 to 29.5 mm.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

They are commonly found near native forest areas. Larvae prefer standing dead trees and feed on the dead wood of various angiosperm species.

Source: Wikipedia

Life cycle

Larvae grow to about 16 mm before pupating in early November within their wood tunnels. The species produces one generation each year.

Source: Wikipedia

When you see it

Adults are active from September through early April and are attracted to light traps.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

The species is endemic to New Zealand.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Green lichen tuft moth photo 2
Photo: Stephen Thorpe, CC BY
Green lichen tuft moth photo 3
Photo: Stephen Thorpe, CC BY
Green lichen tuft moth photo 4
Photo: Christopher Stephens, CC BY-SA
Green lichen tuft moth photo 5
Photo: Stephen Thorpe, CC BY

Same family (Oecophoridae)

Brown House MothBrown House MothHofmannophila pseudospretellaCan damage your homeOrange-headed Callima MothOrange-headed Callima MothCallima argenticinctellaWhite-shouldered House MothWhite-shouldered House MothEndrosis sarcitrellaCan damage your homeSuzuki's Promalactis MothSuzuki's Promalactis MothPromalactis suzukiellaRuddy StreakRuddy StreakTachystola acroxanthaBlack-marked Inga MothBlack-marked Inga MothInga sparsiciliella

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izatha_peroneanella

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.

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