Zealandopterix zonodoxa is a moth of the family Micropterigidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is located from Hawkes Bay north as well as on Poor Knights, Little Barrier and the Great Barrier Islands. It is the smallest micropterigid in New Zealand and the shiny white markings on the forewing of this species display variation. It is a moth that is active during the day, but has been collected using UV light. Adults are on the wing from September to March and the species has been witnessed visiting the flowers of Nīkau and Cordyline pumilio in large numbers. It inhabits a wide variety of moist indigenous forest but is associated with forests in which podocarps are common. Larvae have been sieved from rotten wood on the floor of a mixed podocarp/broadleaf forest or extracted from moss or from bryophytes.
Zealandopterix zonodoxa was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1888 as Palaeomicra zonodoxa using specimens collected in the Waitākere ranges in December.[1] In 1912 Meyrick placed this species within the Sabatinca genus. George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under this name in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[2] In 1988 this placement was also confirmed by J. S. Dugdale in his Catalogue of New Zealand Lepidoptera. In 2010 Gibbs synonymised S. rosicoma, and placed it in the newly created genus Zealandopterix.[3] The lectotype specimen is held in the Natural History Museum in London.[4]
Meyrick originally described the species as follows:
In a 2014 publication, this species was described as having a forewing length of for males and for females.[5]
This is the smallest micropterigid in New Zealand. The shiny white markings on the forewing of this species are variable.[6]
This species is endemic to New Zealand.[7] It is found from the northern North Island of New Zealand, from Te Paki south to Puketitri, Hawkes Bay and including Poor Knights, Little Barrier and Great Barrier Islands.
Z. zonodoxa is a moth that is active during the day and have been seen visiting the flowers of Nīkau and Cordyline pumilio in large numbers.[8] This species has been collected using UV light. Adults develop wings between September and March.
This species inhabits a wide variety of moist indigenous forest types but is associated with forests in which podocarps are common. Adults have been observed feeding on the flowers of Cordyline pumilio.[9]