Mallobathra abyssina

Mallobathra abyssina is a moth of the family Psychidae. It was described by Charles Edwin Clarke in 1934. This species is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed in the West Coast Region. Adults are on the wing in January.

Taxonomy
This species was first described by Charles Edwin Clarke in 1934 using a male specimen collected by himself at Franz Joseph Glacier in January and named Sabathinca abyssina. George Hudson discussed this species under that name in his 1939 publication A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand. In 1988 J. S. Dugdale placed this species within the genus Mallobathra. The holotype specimen is held at Auckland Museum.

Description
Clarke described the adult of this species as follows: "♂ 12 mm. Head and thorax aeneous. Antennae dark fuscous, base aeneous. Abdomen dark fuscous. Forewing ovate, rather blunted at apex; very pale aeneous with fasciae of dark purple; an irroration of purple dots on base to ⅓ of costa, where a wide outwardly oblique fascia of dark irrorated purple crosses to dorsum, another sub-parallel at beyond ½, and another also sub-parallel, more or less bifurcated, towards apex, some loose irroration between fascias, of purple dots. Cilia ochreous-aeneous. Hindwings dark purplish grey. Cilia pale ochreous-aeneous."

Distribution
This species is endemic to New Zealand. The holotype specimen was collected on rocks on the north eastern side of Franz Josef Glacier.

Behaviour
Adults of this species is on the wing in January.