Atomotricha versuta
species of moth endemic to New Zealand
Atomotricha versuta is a moth in the family Oecophoridae first described by Edward Meyrick in 1914. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in both the North and South Islands. The adults of the species are variable in appearance but the three principal variteis are connected b intermediate forms. The female of the species is brachypterous and is incapable of flight. Both the adult male and female have been observed resting on fences during cold winter nights.
Taxonomy
This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1914 using 8 specimens collected in August in Karori by George Hudson. 1n 1927 Alfred Philpott studied the male genitalia of this species. Philpott commended that the male genitalia of A. versuta was indistinguishable from that of A. chloronota and A. sordida and as such he hypothesised that these three species may form one widely distributed species. Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. The male lectotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.
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The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as species of moth endemic to New Zealand. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Dec 16, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q13404032. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1914, 1927 and 1928.
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This entry incorporates text from “Atomotricha versuta” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.