Ichneutica oliveri
Ichneutica oliveri is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand, found only in the South Island. However it has not been observed on the eastern side of that island from mid-Canterbury southwards to Southland. This species is distinctive and is unlikely to be confused with other closely related species. It inhabits tussock grasslands, shrubland as well as granite sand plains, all in the alpine zone. Adults are on the wing from December to March and are attracted to light. They have been observed feeding on the flowers of Hebe species. The life history of this species is unknown as are the larval hosts.
Taxonomy
I. oliveri was first described by George Hampson in 1911 using a single female specimen collected at Bold Peak in the Humboldt Range by F. S. Oliver. The holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London. George Hudson described the species in his 1928 publication The butterflies and moths of New Zealand under the name Melanchra oliveri. In 1988, in his catalogue of New Zealand Lepidoptera, J. S. Dugdale placed this species within the genus Graphania. In 2019 Robert Hoare undertook a major review of New Zealand Noctuidae. During this review the genus Ichneutica was greatly expanded and the genus Graphania was subsumed into that genus as a synonym. As a result of this review, this species is now known as Ichneutica oliveri.Description
Hampson described this species as follows:I. oliveri is a distinctive moth, unlikely to be confused with other species. The male has a wingspan of between 38 and 40 mm and the female of between 42 and 46 mm.