Izatha walkerae
Izatha walkerae is a small moth from New Zealand. It belongs to the Oecophoridae family and is known as a lichen tuft moth. It lives only in New Zealand, specifically the north-eastern part of the South Island, with records from Port Underwood Road near Curious Cove (Marlborough) and Lake Tennyson (Canterbury).
The male has a wingspan of 18–20 mm; the female has not yet been described. Izatha walkerae looks similar to Izatha copiosella, but it can be told apart by whorled clusters of dark hairs (sensilla) on its antennae and by its genitalia. The species was described by Robert J. B. Hoare in 2010; before description it was called Izatha sp. "whorled antennae." It is named in honor of Annette Walker, who collected the holotype, which is stored in the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.
Very little is known about its biology. Adults have been seen in November and January and have been collected with a Malaise trap. It may be active during the day, suggested by a nude periorbital eye strip. The host plants are unknown. Izatha walkerae is classified as Data Deficient in the New Zealand Threat Classification System.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:19 (CET).