New Zealand Magpie Moth

Nyctemera annulata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae

Also called: magpie moth

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
New Zealand Magpie Moth
Photo: Auckland War Memorial Museum, CC BY

The New Zealand magpie moth has a wingspan of about 35 to 45 mm and black wings with white markings. Its thorax and abdomen are black with orange bands, and it is found only in New Zealand. Caterpillars feed exclusively on a single plant in the Senecioneae tribe, often ragwort, and are seen on farmlands in summer.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

Adults have black wings marked with white on both fore- and hind-wings. The thorax and abdomen are black with orange bands.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

Wingspan ranges from 35 to 45 mm.

Source: Wikipedia

Is it a pest in the house?

The species is monophagous, feeding on only one plant species.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

Larvae feed on plants of the Senecioneae tribe in the Asteraceae family. Their diet is limited to a single plant species.

Source: Wikipedia

Life cycle

The complete life cycle takes 6 to 7 weeks and requires warm weather, with winter spent as a pupa.

Source: Wikipedia

When you see it

Adults are most active from September to June, especially in mornings and evenings.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

It occurs only in New Zealand.

Source: Wikipedia

Lookalikes

It is closely related to the Australian Nyctemera amica, which also occurs in New Zealand. Its ragwort-feeding caterpillars are sometimes mistaken for those of the cinnabar moth.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

New Zealand Magpie Moth photo 3
Photo: Jon Sullivan, CC BY
New Zealand Magpie Moth photo 4
Photo: Jon Sullivan, CC BY
New Zealand Magpie Moth photo 5
Photo: Jon Sullivan, CC BY
New Zealand Magpie Moth photo 6
Photo: Jon Sullivan, CC BY

Questions people ask

What does the New Zealand magpie moth look like?

Adults have black wings with white markings and a black body with orange bands.

Source: Wikipedia

When are magpie moths active?

They are most active from September to June, especially in the mornings and evenings.

Source: Wikipedia

What do magpie moth caterpillars eat?

They feed only on a single plant in the Senecioneae tribe, often ragwort.

Source: Wikipedia

Where is the magpie moth found?

It is found only in New Zealand.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Erebidae)

Spongy MothSpongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or cropsFall Webworm MothFall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or cropsBrown-tail MothBrown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skinIsabella Tiger MothIsabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabellaVirginian Tiger MothVirginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skinSalt Marsh MothSalt Marsh MothEstigmene acrea

Sources

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

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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