This species was first described by George Howes in 1942 from specimens obtained at Moke Lake[4] and taken in January[5] and February.[4] Howes named it Selidosema cineracia. This name was also used when the species was discussed by George Vernon Hudson in 1950.[6] In 1988 John S. Dugdale assigned the species to the genus Pseudocoremia.[3] This classification of the species into Pseudocoremia is regarded as unsatisfactory.[2] As such the species is also currently known as Pseudocoremia (s.l.) cineracia.[2] The holotype specimen is held at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.[5]
Howes described the adult male of the species as follows:
Wing expanse, 30 mm. Head and thorax ash-grey. Antennae grey-brown. Abdomen ochreous. Forewings pale brownish- ochreous-brown. Strongly arched at base, then almost straight to apex. Termen slightly bent inwards from centre to tornus. Basal line faintly indicated by a short dark line below centre of wing, with a dark streak below centre outwardly angled towards dorsum. Claviform shows as a slight dot with a surrounding darker suffusion. Reniform faintly shown clouded with dark brown with a small dark dot in centre. Submarginal very slightly pale - the terminal line indistinct, with a terminal series of small dark dots. Cilia ochreous - very short. Veins faintly indicated in grey. Lower wings pale ochreous without markings and with a definite incurving at about one-third along termen. Cilia light ochreous and very short. Underside evenly ochreous white, the hindwings a shade lighter. No appearance of lunule.[4]
Distribution
This species is endemic to New Zealand.[2][8] The species range of this moth is Mackenzie, Central Otago and Otago Lakes.[9] Other than its type locality, this species occurs at Stony Beach at Okains Bay,[10] Big Spur Creek & Cluden Stream at Cluden Station in Otago[11] and Kawarau Gorge.[7]
Biology and host species
The host species of this moth is Olearia odorata.[9] The species is attracted to sugar lures.[4] The adults are on the wing August until June with the species being more common in September.[7]
Habitat
P. cineracia inhabits montane shrublands at an altitude of between 150-850m.[7]
Conservation status
This species has been classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification system as being Nationally Vulnerable.[1]P. cineracia is classified as nationally vulnerable partially because of its reliance on its host plant which is suffering a decline as a result of habitat destruction.[7]
^ abcdePawson, SM; Emberson, RM (2000). "Appendix A". The conservation status of invertebrates in Canterbury. Wellington: Department of Conservation. p. 49. hdl:10182/1658. ISSN1171-9834. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
