Graphania ustistriga

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Graphania
Species: G. ustistriga
Binomial name: Graphania ustistriga

Graphania ustistriga is a moth of the Noctuidae family and is a member of Cutworms and Dart Moths. It is endemic and found through out New Zealand. It has a body length of 20 mm.
Its caterpillars are arboreal until their third moult and after that they feed at night but return to the ground by daytime. They are polyphagous, feeding on many herbs (e.g. chickweed, rhubarb), the Rosaceae species (eg. apples), the Ribes species (currants) and on the small-leaved Coprosma species. They have also been recorded feeding on Pinus radiata and the Pseudotsuga species (evergreen coniferous trees).

1-Graphania ustistriga.JPG