Sabatinca calliarcha

Meyrick described the adults of this species as follows:

♂. 12 mm. Head light bronzy-ochreous, hairs extremely long. with long bronzy-ochreous hairs, beneath which is a white bent stripe on each side of back. Abdomen blackish, apex ochreous-whitish. Forewings elongate-ovate, costa moderately arched, apex obtuse, termen very obliquely rounded; yellow; dorsum suffused with ferruginous-brown, with a few black scales on edge; four golden-whitish streaks from costa between base and f converging towards posterior half of dorsum, first edged posteriorly with ferruginous-brown mixed with indigo-black, hardly reaching dorsum, other three margined on both sides with ferruginous-brown streaks and on costa with black, second and fourth reaching dorsum, third reaching about half across wing; posterior area ferruginous-brownish somewhat mixed with pale yellowish, with an irregular black dot in disc at 3⁄4, and four black dots on costa edged beneath with golden-whitish; a thick black streak lying along termen from near apex to tornus, edged with ochreous-yellowish and interrupted to form a long upper and short lower portion, upper portion including two golden-metallic terminal dots : cilia light ochreous-yellowish, with a violet-coppery basal line edged externally with grey. …

This species is endemic to New Zealand. This species is very wide spread being found in the northern parts of the North Island, that is the Waitākere and Coromandel ranges as well as Great Barrier Island, and in the South Island from Nelson down to the Southland and Fiordland. It has been hypothesised that these two populations have been separated for a long period of time.

Adults are on the wing from the end of September until the middle of January. Adult moths have been seen resting on algae covered stones where its wing colouration ensures it is well camouflaged. When disturbed it takes flight and comes to rest a short distance away. It is very difficult to see when on the wing.