This is a male pepe-tuna (pūriri moth, Aenetus virescens). Listen to Hirini Melbourne sing about the ghostly night-time appearance of this giant green moth (its wingspan reaches 15 centimetres).
Pepe-tuna nunui
Kēhua kākāriki
Wairua rere o te pō
Pepe-tuna nunui
Kēhua kākāriki
rere runga puriri e.
Large pepe-tuna (pūriri moth)
A green apparition
Flying spirit of the night
Large Pepe-tuna
A green apparition
Flying on to a pūriri tree.
Using this item
Reference: 41583
Image: Department of Conservation, 10033130
This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.