Orocrambus abditus

Philpott described the female of the species as follows:

27 mm. Head ochreous-white. Labial palpi 4, ochreous-white. Maxilliary palpi white. Antemiae ochreous-white. TJjorax brassy-yellow. Abdomen and legs whitish-ochreous. Forewings moderate, costa evenly arched, apex acute, termen almost straight, very oblique; brassy-yellow; costa margined throughout with white; a straight well-defined white median longitudinal stripe, margined with fuscous above except near base, and more narrowly beneath on basal half; some obscure white terminal streaks above median streak : cilia white. Hindwings white, faintly tinged with ochreous : cilia white. The female species have forewings that are differently shaped than the male with the top part of the forewings being more acute. Both the male and the female of this species tend to be yellower than their closely related sister species but not consistently so. As a result this species can only be separated from O. simplex, O. lewisi, O. ordishi, or O. crenaeus by studying the genitalia of the specimens.

This species is endemic to New Zealand. O. abditus has been recorded in Marlborough, Arthur's Pass, and in Canterbury in areas such as Porter's Pass, Kowhai River, Opuha, Gapes Valley, Birdling's Flat and Rakaia Island. Gaskin hypothesised that the distribution of this species may have come about as a result of O. abditus surviving in the eastern part of the Nelson/Marlborough during the Otiran glaciation. Gaskin suggested that the restriction in southernly spread of this species may be as a result of competition with its southerly sister species O.ordishi or alternatively as a result of an as yet unknown environmental factor.

Larvae have been collected in October. Adults have been recorded on wing from October to March. Gaskin hypothesised that the length of this flight period may suggest that this species has two broods in a year.

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