Bug FAQPainted Wedge
Pyrgotis plagiatana · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Tortricidae
The painted wedge moth has a wingspan of about 18 mm and shows highly variable wing patterns, often with a V-shaped dark marking and a triangular whitish area. It is endemic to New Zealand, lives in native scrub and forest from coastal to sub-alpine zones, and adults are most often seen from September to June. Larvae feed inside silk shelters made between leaves of many host plants, pupating in a thin cocoon within the same shelter.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Forewings are triangular with a pointed tip, creamy-white background, and variable yellow-brown or pink-brown markings, including a dark V-shaped band and a large oval patch near the tornus; hind-wings are white, sometimes tinged ochreous and lightly speckled with grey.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan of about 18 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Adults are often found in openings within native scrub or forest.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae live in silk shelters between leaves of many host plants and feed by gnawing holes in the leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Larvae pupate inside their leaf-sandwich shelter.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is endemic to New Zealand.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
The species is very variable in colour and pattern, which can make identification tricky. In more exposed locations, the wings tend to become narrower relative to body length.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What does the painted wedge moth look like?
It has a small 18 mm wingspan, triangular forewings with a pointed tip, and a distinctive dark V-shaped marking that encloses a whitish triangle; hind-wings are white and may have a slight ochre tint.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see adult painted wedge moths?
Adults are most often seen from September to June, though they may appear throughout the year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does the painted wedge moth live?
It lives in native scrub and forest habitats ranging from coastal areas up to sub-alpine zones in New Zealand.
Source: Wikipedia
How do the larvae of the painted wedge moth feed?
Larvae build a loose silk gallery between leaves of many host plants and chew holes in the leaves while feeding.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Tortricidae)
Oblique-banded Leafroller MothChoristoneura rosaceanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Garden TortrixClepsis peritanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Common MarbleSyricoris lacunanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Red-banded Leafroller MothArgyrotaenia velutinanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Light Brown Apple MothEpiphyas postvittanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Aster and Reddish Eucosma Moths and AlliesEucosma parmatanaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrgotis_plagiatana
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.