Lepidoptera of small-leaved divaricating Olearia in New Zealand and their conservation priority

by Brian Patrick

A detailed study of the moths (Lepidoptera) feeding on most species of shrubs and small trees in the genus Olearia section Divaricaster (family Asteraceae) revealed a particularly rich fauna including eight new species. Furthermore, the plants were found to be complex ecosystems supporting lichens, mosses, and algae, which in turn all support their own moth species. Forty-one species of moth, all endemic to New Zealand, were found to feed naturally on this group of plants. Of these, 20 species were found to be specialists, with 17 species confined to this host group, and the other three...