Orthenches semifasciata is a moth of the family Plutellidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. Taxonomy This species was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1915. He used a female specimen collected by C. C. Fenwick which was taken in Queenstown in January. George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. In this book Hudson synonymised O. similis with O. semifasciata despite Philpott providing distinguishing features for these two species. In 1988 John S. Dugdale disagreed with this synonymising and separately listed the two species. The holotype specimen of O. semifasciata is held at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Description The wingspan is 16–18 mm. The head, palpi, and thorax are white mixed with brown and the abdomen is grey. The forewings are elongate, the costa gently arched, the apex subacute, the termen rounded and oblique. They are white, irrorated with shining dark brown, especially on dorsal half. The markings are shining dark brown. The hindwings are light fuscous-grey. Distribution This species is endemic to New Zealand. Along with the type locality of Queenstown this species has also been collected near Lake Hakapoua in Fiordland National Park, on Mount Titiroa in Fiordland, at Rastus Burn Basin in The Remarkables at an altitude of 1640m, and around Aoraki/ Mount Cook. Biology and behaviour This species has been recorded as being on the wing in January and February. Habitat and hosts The larvae of O. semifasciata feed on Dracophyllum species. References External links Image of holotype Plutellidae Moths of New Zealand Moths described in 1915 Endemic fauna of New Zealand Taxa named by Alfred Philpott Endemic moths of New Zealand