About Dumbletonius unimaculata (Salmon, 1948)
Dumbletonius unimaculata has a wingspan of 51–67 mm for males and 74–90 mm for females. Male forewings have a complex colour pattern, while this pattern is usually reduced or completely absent in females. Hindwings are a solid unicolorous shade of yellow, orange-yellow or pink. The bright hindwing colouration of male Dumbletonius unimaculata fades very quickly after the individual dies. This moth is endemic to New Zealand, and only occurs in the North Island, where it is considered common. It lives in lowland native forest. Females can lay up to 10,000 eggs among leaf litter in native forest. Larvae develop over two to three years living in tunnels within leaf litter, and can reach a length of 10 cm. Larvae pupate inside the tunnels they inhabit. Adult moths are active and in flight from December to April.
