Meterana exquisita

The larvae of this species are large, angular and green coloured with thin red and white lines. Philpott originally described the male of the species as follows:

♂︎. 32 mm. Head and palpi greenish; tips of palpi and outward surfaces blackish; two linear black marks on crown of head. Antennae brownish, shortly bipectinated. Legs greenish, annulated with black. Thorax with moderate bifid anterior and posterior crest; green, with black irregular V-shaped mark, the apex towards head. Abdomen dull-yellowish, anal segments black; also blackish on sides of segments, and dorsal series of black spots. Fore wings : Costa almost straight, apex rounded; termen not crenulate, obliquely rounded, bright-green, black suffusion from base obliquely towards dorsum, terminating in oblique black white-margined upwardly bent projection at 1⁄4; distinct white irregularly black-margined line from costa near base to black suffusion, irregular interrupted white -margined black line from about 1⁄4 of costa to before 1⁄2 of dorsum, several irregular projections at middle of wing, and upper half of line forked; irregular black outwardly white-margined band at 1⁄2, outwardly oblique to middle of wing, thence inwardly oblique to dorsum, on which broadly and irregularly clavate; costa with alternate black and white dots; reniform spot obscurely outlined in black, edged with white; dentate black line beyond r …

This species is endemic to New Zealand. M. exquisita has occurred in Auckland, Waikato, Taupō, Whanganui, Wairarapa, Nelson, South Canterbury, Mackenzie country, Central Otago, Otago Lakes and Southland. However this species is now locally extinct in its type locality of West Plains and is almost wiped out in Auckland.

This species has only one generation a year. The larvae are bright green coloured and as a result are well camouflaged when feeding on their host species. Larvae feed for one month before they pupate. M. exquisita are on the wing from August to December but are most common from September to October. The species can fly for at least 800m from their nearest host plant. This species has been collected at sugar traps.