Thiotricha oleariae

This species was first described by George Hudson in his publication, The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, in 1928 using a specimen collected by Stella Hudson at Days Bay in Wellington.^[2] Stella Hudson collected a larval specimen feeding on Olearia solandri and George Hudson reared it to maturity.^[2][3] The male lectotype is held at Te Papa.^[4] The lectotype specimen is held at Te Papa.^[4]

Larvae live in a constructed case.^[2][5]

Hudson described the larvae of this species as follows:

The enclosed larva is very stout greenish-brown, much wrinkled with the horny head, dorsal plate of second segment and legs blackish; minute prolegs are situated on segments 7-10. The last segment is horny with well developed anal prolegs which retain a firm hold on the case.^[2]

Hudson described the adult of the species as follows:

The expansion of the wings is slightly under 1⁄2 inch. The fore-wings are rather narrow, with the costa almost straight, the termen oblique and the dorsum nearly parallel with the costa; dull white, much sprinkled and clouded with pale brown on the basal fourth and on the costal region from about 1⁄3 to near the apex; there is a chain of black scales on the fold, terminating in a rather conspicuous black spot at about 1⁄3; clusters of black scales are usually present near the tornal region, in the middle of the termen, near the apex and sometimes in the disc. The hind-wings, which have the apex strongly produced, are dull greyish-ochreous; the cilia of all the wings are brownish-grey.^[2]

This species has been observed from the central part of the North Island south to Stewart Island.^[3] It is found at altitudes from sea-level up to 900 metres.^[3]