Pyrgotis transfixa

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick from a specimen collected by George Hudson at Gollan's Valley, Wellington in December.^[2][3] Meyrick named the species Catamacta transfixa.^[3] George Hudson described and illustrated this species under that name in his 1928 book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.^[4] In 1971 John S. Dugdale placed this species within the genus Pyrgotis.^[5] The holotype specimen of this species is held at the Natural History Museum, London.^[6]

Meyrick described this species as follows:

♂︎. 15 mm. Head and thorax dark purplish-fuscous mixed with dark red-brown. Palpi dark fuscous. Antennal ciliations 1. Forewings suboblong, costa anteriorly gently arched, with rather broad fold from base to beyond 1⁄3, termen sinuate, oblique; ferruginous-brown suffusedly reticulated with glistening greyish-violet; a narrow suffused ochreous-whitish median streak from base to termen, similar streaks on veins 6 and 7, on vein 3, and space between this and tornus suffusedly irrorated ochreous-whitish : cilia ferruginous-brown mixed whitish, tips whitish, at apex a violet-grey bar. Hindwings pale grey, very faintly; mottled; cilia whitish.^[3]

This species is endemic to New Zealand.^[1][7] This species is only known from Wellington.^[6] Specimens have been obtained in the Ōrongorongo Valley.^[6]

Very little is known of the biology of this species.^[6] The adult moths are on the wing in December.^[4] They are attracted to light.^[6]

This species prefers forest habitat.^[4] The host species and larvae of this moth are at present unknown.^[6]

This species has been classified as having the "At Risk, Naturally Uncommon" conservation status under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.^[8]