Charixena iridoxa
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Charixena iridoxa, also known as the Astelia zig-zag moth, is a moth classified sometimes in the family Glyphipterigidae and sometimes in Plutellidae. It was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1916. This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the North, South and Stewart Islands. The life cycle of this moth is at least two years in length with the larvae inhabiting the bulb of its host plants and mining the underside of its leaves. These mines have a distinctive zig-zag appearance and can be easily recognised when looked for on the host plants. The larvae pupate in a cocoon attached to the leaf and this stage takes place between February and August. The adult moths emerge in the early spring and are fast, day flying moths. Their larval hosts are plants in the genus Astelia and include Astelia fragrans and Astelia nervosa.
This species was first described by Edward Meyrick using specimens collected at Mount Burns in the Hunter Mountains and originally named Philpottia iridoxa. In 1921 Meyrick, recognising that the genus name Philpottia was preoccupied, placed this species in the genus Charixena. In 1924 Morris N. Watt published a paper giving details... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Astelia Zig-Zag Moth sighting in Fiordland National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 88th most-seen of the 201 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November to April
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Astelia Zig-Zag Moth in Fiordland National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to October, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Astelia Zig-Zag Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Astelia Zig-Zag Moth sightings, Fiordland National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Arthur's Pass National Park (New Zealand, about 30%) and Egmont National Park (New Zealand, about 20%).
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Astelia Zig-Zag Moth that you can see in Fiordland National Park (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are New Zealand Red Admiral (about 20%), Lacebark Looper (about 20%) and Forest Semilooper (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Astelia Zig-Zag Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Fiordland National Park (10 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
