Pseudocoremia amaculata

Pseudocoremia amaculata is a species of moth in the family Geometridae. It is endemic to New Zealand and has been observed at St Arnaud. As at 2003 the female of this species is unknown. This species has been shown to be parasitised by species of wasps in the genera Aleiodes, Casinaria and Glyptapanteles.

Taxonomy
This species was first described by Andréa Stephens and George Gibbs in 2003. J. S. Dugdale mentioned the species in his 1988 publication as one of two undescribed species in the genus Pseudocoremia. The male holotype specimen collected by Dugdale at St Arnaud Village in 1983 is held at the New Zealand Arthropod Collection.

Description
The forewing length of the male of this species is between 15 and 16 mm. Stephens and Gibbs described the species as follows: "Forewings: relatively uniform medium  brown across the entire surface, basal line and the median lines  very  faint,  terminal  line  very  faint  zig-zag, below the apex across the terminal line is a darker brown   poorly   defined   smear. Hindwings: completely yellow with no evidence of peppering. Antennae: bipectinate, with     the     longest pectinations  extending  to  around  1875μm  with pectinations  becoming  shorter  towards  the  tip  of the  antennae,  distal  22%  of  antennae  without pectinations." As at 2003 the female of this species is unknown.

Distribution
This species is endemic to New Zealand. It has been collected only at St Arnaud. Stephens and Gibbs mentioned a specimen collected at the Hapuka Scenic Reserve  near  Kaikōura  that may be P. amaculata. However, as a result of that specimen being more strongly marked there is doubt about this designation.

Behaviour
Species in the genus Pseudocoremia are nocturnal and are attracted to light.

Predators
This species has been studied and found to have been parasitised by species of wasps in the genera Aleiodes, Casinaria and Glyptapanteles.