Cabbage tree moth

Epiphryne verriculata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Geometridae

Also called: Cabbage Tree Looper

Damages trees, gardens or crops. The larvae feed on cabbage tree leaves, damaging these native trees in gardens and forests.

Source: Wikipedia

Cabbage tree moth
Photo: Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd., CC BY

Adults have a wingspan of about 3.8 cm and show light brown wings with parallel brown lines. They live in wetlands, native forests and also in urban parks where cabbage trees are planted, and can be seen from October to May.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

The wings are generally light brown with parallel brownish lines running across them.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

The adult’s wingspan measures roughly 3.8 cm.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

It prefers wetland and native forest habitats but also occurs in urban parks and gardens where cabbage trees grow.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

Larvae feed exclusively on the leaves of several cabbage-tree species (Cordyline).

Source: Wikipedia

Life cycle

The species takes several months to develop from egg to adult. Larvae pass through five instars, shedding their skin between each growth stage.

Source: Wikipedia

When you see it

Adults are on the wing from spring through late summer, roughly October to May.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

This moth is found only in New Zealand, where it is widespread.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Cabbage tree moth photo 3
Photo: Mike Bowie, CC BY

Questions people ask

When can I expect to see adult cabbage tree moths?

Adults are active from October through May.

Source: Wikipedia

What do the larvae eat?

They eat the leaves of cabbage trees (Cordyline species).

Source: Wikipedia

Where does this moth live?

It lives in wetlands, native forests, and urban parks or gardens with cabbage trees.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Geometridae)

Willow BeautyWillow BeautyPeribatodes rhomboidariaPale BeautyPale BeautyCampaea perlataDamages trees, gardens or cropsLarge Lace-border MothLarge Lace-border MothScopula limboundataDamages trees, gardens or cropsRiband WaveRiband WaveIdaea aversataYellow Shell MothYellow Shell MothCamptogramma bilineataLarge Maple Spanworm MothLarge Maple Spanworm MothProchoerodes lineolaDamages trees, gardens or crops

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphryne_verriculata

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.

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