About Stericta carbonalis (Guenée, 1854)
Stericta carbonalis is a moth species. Its forewings have a dark brown or grey pattern, while its hindwings are lighter and white, darkening toward the edges. Adult individuals of this species have dark-coloured wings that blend in with the burnt bark of eucalypt trees. Adults also have a curved, 'snub-nosed' head, a trait common to grass moths.
This species is distributed across Cairns, Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania. It has recently become established in New Zealand, with the earliest recorded observation there dating to 2009. Most New Zealand records of the species come from the South Island, though at least 3 records have been documented from the North Island.
Stericta carbonalis belongs to the Pyralidae moth family, whose members have mobile pupae. This species feeds on dead eucalypt leaves. As adult grass moths, individuals of this species visit flowers and are active on a nocturnal circadian rhythm.
