"x" marks the moth!

Usually moths have sweeping curves and circles in their markings. Not so *Eudonia asterisca*, an aptly named NZ-endemic moth. It has a distinctive "x" mark on each forewing.

I photographed this moth at a moth light in the North Canterbury mountains. There are 211 observations of this moth on iNaturalist so far, mostly in the mountains, from throughout the country.

I don't know what its caterpillars eat. (I'm not sure if anyone knows, as it's not listed in NZ's Plant-SyNZ database and all iNat observations are of adults.)

https://www.inaturalist.nz/observations/342713940

#mothodon #moths #Lepidoptera #entomology #nz #iNaturalistNZ