This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1901 using specimens collected at Aoraki / Mount Cook in February by R. W. Fereday and named Scoparia alopecias.[3][2] Hudson discussed this species in his book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.[4] In 1988 John S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Eudonia.[2] The male lectotype is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[2]
Description
Meyrick described the species as follows:
♂ 23 m.m., ♀ 18 m.m. Head, palpi, and thorax ferruginous-brown; palpi 2+1⁄2-3, white towards base beneath. Antennal ciliations of ♂ 1⁄3. Abdomen brownish. Forewings elongate, gradually dilated, costa nearly straight, slightly sinuate, apex obtuse, termen slightly sinuate, rather oblique; ferruginous-brown, in ♂ sprinkled with white towards termen : cilia greyish-ochreous, with two cloudy ferruginous-brown shades. Hindwings 1+1⁄4, in ♂ very pale whitish-fuscous, slightly brassy-tinged, termen suffused with fuscous, in ♀ fuscous, becoming darker posteriorly; cilia fuscous-whitish, in ♀ fuscous at base.[3]
Distribution
Aoraki Mount Cook, type locality of E. alopecias.
This species is endemic to New Zealand and is found at Mount Cook.[1]
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