Thectophila

Thectophila acmotypa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Cosmopterigidae
Genus:	Thectophila Meyrick, 1927[1]
Species:	T. acmotypa
Binomial name
Thectophila acmotypa Meyrick, 1927[2]

Thectophila is a genus of moths in the Cosmopterigidae family, although some sources place it in the Blastodacnidae family. The genus contains only one species, Thectophila acmotypa. It is endemic to New Zealand, where it is only known from the Arthur's Pass.

The wingspan is about 12.5 mm. All wings are lanceolate, with acutely pointed apices. The forewings are creamy white, narrowly edged with ochreous, a black streak at the apex terminates in a tuft of black cilia. The remaining cilia are whitish. The adults appear in February and can be found amongst rough herbage on mountainsides.^[3]

Nothing is known about its biology or host plant.

Taxonomy

Elachista plagiaula was originally described as a Thectophila species.

References

1. Natural History Museum Lepidoptera genus database
2. Lepidoptera of New Zealand
3. The conservation status of invertebrates in Canterbury