Titanomis sisyrota Meyrick, 1888:104
Frosted phoenix
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
A common name for this species of Frosted Phoenix was "tentatively propose[d]" by (Hoare, 2001:15) to raise public awareness about its existence and hence hopefully lead to its rediscovery.
Conservation Status
Last record: 1959 (Hoare, 2001:5)
Rediscovered on: 2 March 2024 (photographic observation by Pav Johnsson); 16 March 2024 (confirmation by Dr. Robert Hoare) (both iNaturalist; Mitchell, 2024)
First photograph of a living specimen, taken by Pav Johnsson on Stewart Island (Rakiura): https://inaturalist.nz/observations/202565126
Distribution
New Zealand
Biology & Ecology
Hypodigm
Media
References
Original scientific description:
Meyrick, Edward. (1888). Descriptions of New Zealand Tineina. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 20: 77-106.
Other references:
Dugdale, John S. (1988). Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa. Fauna of New Zealand 14. 264 pp. https://doi.org/10.7931/J2/FNZ.14
Hamilton, H. (1921). Occurrence of a rare tineoid moth (Titanomis sisyrota Meyr.). New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology 4(3): 141.
Hoare, Robert J. B. (2001). New Zealand's most enigmatic moth - what we know about Titanomis sisyrota. DOC Science Internal Series 5. Department of Conservation, Wellington. 17 pp.
Hoare, Robert J. B., Dugdale, John S., Edwards, E. D., Gibbs, G. W., Patrick, B. H. and Hitchmough, R. A. and Rolfe, J. R. (2017). Conservation status of New Zealand butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera), 2015. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 20. Department of Conservation, Wellington. 13 pp.
Holmes, Branden. (2021). What's Lost and What Remains: The Sixth Extinction in 100 Accounts (eBook). Self published.
Hudson, G. V. (1928). The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. Wellington: Ferguson & Osborn Ltd., 382 pp., 52 pl.
Mitchell, Charlie. (2024, March 30). Mysterious moth unseen for 65 years accidentally rediscovered by tourist. The Press (Te Matatika). Available at: https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/350225711/mysterious-moth-unseen-65-years-accidentally-rediscovered-tourist [Accessed 30 March 2024]
Molloy, J., Davis, A. and Tisdall, C. (1994). Setting Priorities for the Conservation of New Zealand’s Threatened Plants and Animals. 2nd ed. Department of Conservation, Wellington. 64 pp.
Patrick, B. H. and Dugdale, John S. (2000). Conservation status of the New Zealand Lepidoptera. Science for Conservation 136. 31 pp.
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/202565126