Story: Te aitanga pepeke – the insect world

Whakapapa of the hīhue (kūmara moth)

Whakapapa of the hīhue (kūmara moth)

This whakapapa (genealogical chart) shows the ancestry of the kūmara moth or sphinx moth. Whānui (the star Vega) is the parent of the kūmara (sweet potato), which was stolen from the heavens and taken to earth. As punishment, Whānui sent three caterpillars – ānuhe, Toronū and Moko – to attack the kūmara. The most rapacious of these was Anuhe. His child is Tūpoupou (or Tūngoungou), the pupa of the moth, whose child is Hīhue (the moth).

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Source: ‘Te Ao Turoa‘ education kit, Auckland Museum, p. 24

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How to cite this page:

Bradford Haami, 'Te aitanga pepeke – the insect world - Moths', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/whakapapa/12617/whakapapa-of-the-hihue-kumara-moth (accessed 25 April 2024)

Story by Bradford Haami, published 24 Sep 2007