Austrocidaria gobiata
Austrocidaria gobiata, also known as the barred Coprosma carpet or the pale oblique-barred moth, is a species of moth of the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found throughout the country. It inhabits native forest, particular areas where its larval host plant, Coprosma areolata, is common. The larvae of this species feed at night and are well camouflaged as a result of their external morphology during the day when they rest. A. gobiata pupate in the leaf litter or amongst the leaves of their host plant. Adults are on the wing all year but are commonly observed from October to April. Adults are nocturnal and are attracted to light. The larvae of this species play host to the fly ''Pales aurea.''
Taxonomy
This species was first described by Cajetan von Felder and Alois Friedrich Rogenhofer in 1875 and originally named Cidaria gobiata. George Hudson in his 1928 publication The butterflies and moths of New Zealand discussed and illustrated this species under the name Eucymatoge gobiata. In 1988 John S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Austrocidaria. The female holotype, collected by Thomas R. Oxley in Nelson, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.Description
Hudson described the larva of this species as follows:Hudson regarded larvae of A. gobiata as being well adapted for concealment amongst the twigs of its food plant, Coprosma areolata.
Hudson also described the adults of this species as follows:
Adults are variable in appearance however most specimens of this species can be recognised by the dark diagonal dash on the tips of its forewings. This species can be distinguished from its sister species Austrocidaria anguligera as A. gobiata has smooth margins to its wings.