Southern Tiger Moth

Adults males are brightly coloured and diurnal, while females are pale brown, grey or yellowish-brown in colour.

Hudson described the species as follows:

♂︎ . Expanse of wings 17 lines. Antennae dull yellow, with articulations marked in black. Head black, with a small tuft of ochreous scales in front. Legs ochreous, striped longitudinally with black. Thorax black, the margin of the prothorax indicated by a yellowish collar; mesothorax with a very broad yellow stripe on each side. Forewings, with costa, nearly straight, black, with six longitudinal ochreous lines; the first almost imperceptible, extending interruptedly only about one-sixth from hindmargin towards base; the second traversing the whole of the wing uninterrupted throughout, and broadest on disc, slightly curved downwards towards hind margin; the third much broken, and terminating at about one quarter from hind margin; also the fourth and fifth, which are, however, a little longer; the sixth very broad, extending from hind margin to base of the wing. Costa and inner margin edged with ochreous. Hindwings with a broad sub-marginal band of black, terminating shortly before anal angle, a large black dot being situated in the anal angle, yellowish ochre, tinged with red in the vicinity of the black band. …

M. strategica is endemic to New Zealand. It is known from the southern part of the South Island. It has been recorded in Otatara and at Waituna where it inhabits coastal silver tussock patches at the back of the shingle beach. Other sites in Southland include Brydone, Cannibal Bay, Waipapa Point and Sandy Point.

The larvae are polyphagous on grasses and herbs. Although the females are flightless and tend to stay in their cocoon to bred and lay eggs, some females, after they pupate, have been shown to leave and move a short distance from their nest. However main population disbursal is as a result of larvae movement.