Ichneutica unica

Edward Meyrick described the species as follows:

Male, female. — 34-35 mm. Head, palpi, antennae, thorax, abdomen, and legs whitish-ochreous, slightly brownish-tinged; antennae in male moderately bipectinated, pectinations strongly ciliated. Forewings moderately dilated, costa almost straight, apex obtuse, hindmargin waved, somewhat oblique, rounded beneath; whitish-ochreous, slightly brownish-tinged, sometimes with a few scattered black scales; first Iine represented by three pairs of obscure black dots; a posterior curved series of black dots : cilia whitish-ochreous. Hindwings grey, more or less tinged with whitish-ochreous; cilia pale whitish-ochreous. The wingspan of the male adult of this species is between 32 and 37 mm and the female is between 32 and 36 mm. I. unica is variable in appearance with the North Island specimens having a darker brown colour on the forewings and having a darker underside of the hindwings. This species is very similar in appearance to I. phaula but does not have the dentate antennae on the male of that species. It is also similar in appearance to I. toroneura but can be distinguished as the black vein markings are more patchy on the I. unica forewings.

This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is found in the centre of the North Island and throughout the South Island. The species has been collected in the North Island at Waiouru and Ohakune and in the South Island at Blenheim, Raikaia, Quail Island, Dunedin, Lake Wakatipu, Alexandra and Macetown.

The species is on the wing from November to February. It has been collected through sugar trapping. This species is also attracted to light and specimens have been collected through light trapping. It has been shown that artificial warming increases the body size of this moth.

Some part of this species life history is unknown but larvae are herbivorous and feed on the leaves of grasses including Chionochloa pallens as well as species within the genus Poa.

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