Glaucocharis planetopa

Glaucocharis planetopa is a moth of the family Crambidae. It was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1923. It is endemic to New Zealand and has only be observed on the South Island. G. planetopa inhabits native forest. Larvae of Glaucocharis species feed on mosses and liverworts. Adults are on the wing in January and February. As at 1971 the female of this species had yet to be collected.

Taxonomy

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick using a specimen from the Otago Lakes region in forest collected by George Hudson and named Diptychophora planetopa. George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under that name in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. In 1971 David Edward Gaskin placed this species in the genus Pareromene. However in 1985 Gaskin recognised that Glaucocharis must take precedence over Pareromene and placed G. planetopa into that genus. The female holotype specimen collected in the Routeburn Valley, at the head of Lake Wakatipu, is held at Natural History Museum, London.

Meyrick described this species as follows:
Gaskin in 1971 stated that the female of this species had yet to be collected.

G. planetopa is endemic to New Zealand. This species is only found in the South Island, from its type locality, Arthur's PassArthur's Pass, above the Otira River, at about 3500 ft and Lakes Manapouri and Te Anau. Charles C. Clarke regarded this species as rare.

This species inhabits native forest. Larvae of Glaucocharis species feed on mosses and liverworts.

Adults are on the wing in January and February.