About Erechthias stilbella (Doubleday, 1843)
Hudson gave the following description for this species. The wingspan is slightly under 3/4 of an inch. The forewings are cream-colored, with a faint ochreous tinge on the dorsum. A broad, deep bronzy-black stripe runs parallel to the dorsum from the base to the apex. A very fine curved line extends from the costa at the base, joining the central stripe at roughly the halfway point. Another very fine line starts from the costa at approximately 3/4 of the wing length and almost reaches the central stripe. A fine line runs along the costal edge from the 3/4 position to the apex, and there is a black spot at the apex. The hindwings are pale grey. While this species looks similar to E. chasmatias, it differs from that species in the arrangement of its markings. This species is endemic to New Zealand, and can be found in both the North and South Islands. It lives in native forests and bush, and can also be found in domestic gardens. Larvae of all species in the genus Erechthias feed on dead plant debris or the tough leaves of plants such as palms. Adults of this species have been reared from larvae found in a gall on a wattle tree.
