Ichneutica marmorata

Hudson describes the female adult of the species as follows:

The expansion of the wings of the female is 1+1⁄2. The fore-wings are rather narrow with the termen moderately oblique, very slightly scalloped; reddish grey; the lines and stigmata outlined in black; the stigmatic, basal and costal region (as far as the second line) heavily suffused with white; the basal line is indicated by two short bars, one on the costa, the other below the subcostal vein; first line interrupted, very strongly waved, from 1⁄4 of costa to 1⁄3 of dorsum; claviform obscure; orbicular small, very elongate, clearly outlined in black; a conspicuous, almost elliptical black marking between orbicular and reniform; reniform large, margined with black except towards costa and dorsum, white, with two small cloudy yellowish-brown marks within; second line strongly dentate, from 2⁄3 of costa to near middle of dorsum, a very deep oblique sinuation between veins 1 and 2; subterminal line moderately dentate; beyond subterminal line there is a conspicuous series of partly confluent ochreous spots; a terminal series of small blackish lunules; the cilia are red-brown. …

This species is endemic to New Zealand. It has been observed in only two areas of the North Island, Tongariro National Park and at Puketitiri. In the South Island this species is widespread.

Adults of this species are on the wing from late October to February, and are attracted to sugar traps.

The information on the life history of this species is not definitive. A possible host of the larvae of this moth is tussock grass as the female of I. marmorata has been seen laying eggs on Chionochloa rubra subsp. cuprea. Larvae have been reared on Festuca novae-zelandiae.

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