Bascantis

This species was described by Edward Meyrick in 1914 using a specimen collected by George Hudson at Kaeo in January.^[4][5] Hudson discussed and illustrated this species both in his 1928 book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand as well as his 1950 publication Fragments of New Zealand entomology.^[6][7] The holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.^[4]

Meyrick described the species as follows:

♀︎. 12 mm. Head and thorax deep purple, face whitish. Palpi dark fuscous. Antennae violet - fuscous. Abdomen dark bluish - grey. Forewings elongate, rather narrow, posteriorly slightly dilated, costa anteriorly slightly, towards apex strongly arched, apex obtuse, termen obliquely rounded ; deep purple ; a semioval ochreous-white spot on middle of costa, reaching 1⁄3 across wing ; dorsum obscurely marked with several small blue- metallic spots and minute whitish dots ; a transverse-linear blackish mark in disc at 3⁄4 ; a narrow bright-purple transverse fascia shot with metallic-blue and edged anteriorly with indistinct white dots from beyond 3⁄4 of costa to tornus, and another before apex : cilia dark grey, with blackish median line. Hindwings dark bronzy-fuscous, lighter anteriorly ; cilia dark grey.^[5]

This species is endemic to New Zealand.^[8][2] Along with the type locality of Kaeo, this species has also been collected in Waitākere Ranges,^[6] Days Bay,^[6] and Wainuiomata.^[7] It was last seen in 1950.^[9]

The adult moth is on the wing in January.^[6] It is a day flying moth.^[9] It has been hypothesised that this moth mimics the appearance of the beetle Zorion guttigerum.^[6]

This species has been collected by sweeping in dense forest.^[7]

This moth is classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification system as being Data Deficient.^[1]

Wikispecies has information related to Bascantis.

• Image of species