Tingena idiogama

The species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1924 using specimens collected at Mount Taranaki in January and named Borkhausenia idiogama.[3] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand also under the same name.[4] In 1988 J. S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Tingena.[2] The male lectotype specimen, collected at Mount Taranaki is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[2]

Illustration of T. idiogama by George Hudson.

Meyrick described this species as follows:

♂♀. 15–16 mm. Head and thorax bronzy-grey, orbits in ♂ paleyellowish. Palpi grey, in ♂ suffused pale-yellowish towards base, apex of second joint whitish. Antennal cilation of ♂ 1. Abdomen dark grey, in ♂ anal tuft and exserted genitalia whitish-ochreous, in ♀ a short whitishochreous scale-tuft beneath from praeanal segment, ovipositor exserted, filiform. Forewings light grey, irregularly and suffusedly irrorated ochreous-whitish or light yellow-ochreous, especially posteriorly, a few scattered dark-grey scales; plical stigma blackish-grey, beneath it in ♀ an oblique spot of whitish suffusion; an inwardly-oblique streak of dark-fuscous suffusion from tornus, its apex indicating second discal stigma: cilia pale grey, suffusedly mixed or mostly suffused pale ochreous-yellowish. Hindwings dark grey; cilia grey.[3]

Hudson stated that this species is variable in appearance in particular its discal markings on the forewings.[4]

This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been found on the lower slopes of Mount Taranaki.[1][4]

The adults of this species are on the wing in January.[4]

This species prefers subalpine scrub habitat.[4]