Proteodes carnifex information

Proteodes carnifex
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Depressariidae
Genus:	Proteodes
Species:	P. carnifex
Binomial name
Proteodes carnifex (Butler, 1877)[1]
Synonyms[1][2]
Cryptolechia carnifex Butler, 1877 Cryptolechia rufosparsa Butler, 1877

Proteodes carnifex (also known as the Mountain Beech Flat Moth) is a species of moth in the family Depressariidae.^[3] It is endemic to New Zealand. Both the larvae and the adults of this species are variable in appearance. However the adults are normally easily identified as the outline is characteristic and the size is consistent. In appearance, adult moths mimic the leaves of their larval host plants. This species has been found near Wellington in the North Island, the tableland of Mount Arthur, in the Canterbury region, Arthur's Pass and at Lake Wakatipu in the South Island. The larval hosts of this species are southern beech trees, particularly black beech (Nothofagus solandri) and mountain beech (Nothofagus cliffortioides) but larvae have also been found on red beech (Nothofagus fusca), hard beech (Nothofagus truncata) and silver beech (Nothofagus menziesii). The female moth deposits her eggs individually on the underside of native beech tree leaves. Once hatched the larvae feed on those leaves through winter and spring and then pupate in January. The adult moth emerges from the pupa after fourteen days and is on the wing from January until April. They are day flying moths and are not attracted to light. Various insects parasitise the larvae of this moth including several species of wasp as well as flies including the endemic fly, Pales funesta.