Macarostola miniella
Macarostola miniella is a species of moth in the family Gracillariidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species is only found in the North Island and the adult moths have two different colour variations. Taxonomy. This species was first described by Baron Cajetan von Felder, Rudolf Felder and Alois Friedrich Rogenhofer in 1875 under the name "Stathmopoda miniella". Edward Meyrick, thinking he was describing a new species, named it "Gracilaria ethela" in 1880. Meyrick synonymised this name with "S. miniella" in 1889. John S. Dugdale assigned this species to the genus "Macraostola" in 1988. The lectotype specimen  is held at the Natural History Museum, London. Description. Meyrick described the species as follows: The adult moths of this species come in two colour variations. The more common variation is the crimson and yellow form. The other variation has more dull fuscous colouration replacing the crimson. Distribution. This species is endemic to New Zealand. "M. miniella" is common and found throughout the North Island. Behaviour and life history. The larvae of "M. miniella" are leaf miners that later in their development also roll the leaves of their host plant, both to feed from and then to pupate in. Habitat  and host plant. This species is found in native forest habitat. The larvae are leaf miners on "Syzygium maire", a tree species also endemic to New Zealand.