This species was first described by Hudson in 1909 using specimens collected at the North Arm of Carnley Harbour at the Auckland Islands and also at Campbell Island.[3] In 1928 Hudson, in his seminal work The butterflies and moths of New Zealand, again discussed and illustrated this species.[4] In 1971 J. S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Helastia.[5] The genus Helastia was restricted by R. C. Craw in 1987 placing this species into the genus Xanthorhoe.[6] This placement was accepted in 1988 by Dugdale.[2] The male holotype specimen, collected at Carnley Harbour, is held at Te Papa.[2]
Description
Illustration of X. orophylloides
Hudson described this species as follows:
The expansion of the wings is 1+1⁄2 in. The head is brownish-grey. The antennae are moderately bipectinated. The thorax and abdomen are pale grey, the latter with the segmental divisions dull ochreous; there are also two black dots on the back of each segment. The forewings are rather narrow, with the apex somewhat acute, and the termen slightly curved oblique, pale bluish-grey with pale brownish-black markings; a rather faint transverse line at about 1⁄3 strongly marked on the cell by a cloudy wedge-shaped mark; a stronger transverse line at 3⁄4 well marked by a series of dark marks on each of the veins, those nearest the cell being considerably larger than the rest; a fairly distinct terminal shading of dark grey and a large wedge-shaped pale apical area; the median hand generally is paler and browner than the rest of the wing. The hindwings are pale grey. The cilia are greyish- white, with a few brownish-black scales only.[3]
X. orophylloides is similar in appearance to X. orophyla and Epyaxa rosearia but may be easily separated as X. orophylloides has narrower wings.[2]
Distribution
This species is endemic to New Zealand.[7] It is found in the subantarctic islands including at the Auckland Islands and at Campbell Island.[4]
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