Austrocidaria lithurga

Meyrick originally described this species as follows:

♂︎. 25 mm. Head and thorax pale greyish-ochreous mixed with whitish, transversely barred with blackish-grey suffusion. Palpi 1+1⁄2, blackish-grey, lower longitudinal half whitish. Antennae somewhat stout, shortly ciliated (1⁄3). Abdomen pale greyish-ochreous, mixed on sides with dark grey and whitish, segmental margins white preceded by a black mark on each side of back. Forewings triangular, costa rather strongly arched towards apex, apex obtuse, termen rather obliquely rounded, crenate; pale greyish-ochreous, marked with indistinct waved striae of grey irroration becoming blackish on costa; margin of a small basal patch indicated on lower half by a blackish stria edged with white posteriorly; median band formed by two fasciae of several rather irregular suffused grey striae each, well marked except beneath costa, margins marked with black edged exteriorly with white except near costa, anterior margin twice sinuate, posterior with median third forming a rather strong subtriangular obliquely bilobate prominence; a transverse-linear black slightly whitish-edged discal dot on anterior of these fasciae; subterminal line of ground-colour, slender, strongly waved, preceded by some grey suffusion towards dorsum and above middle, and cut by an oblique dark-grey streak from apex marked with blackish; a fine black terminal line: cil …

This species is endemic to New Zealand. This species range is Wellington and Mid Canterbury. As well as the type locality, this species is recorded as having been collected at Sinclair Head and at Baring Head, both in Wellington. It has also been located in south Marlborough. It is possible that the species is also present at Little Bush, Puketitiri, in the Hawkes Bay.

The pupa of this species is attached to a loose cocoon. The adult moth is on the wing in October and November.