Sabatinca quadrijuga

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1912 using a specimen collected by Alfred Philpott in Invercargill.[2] The holotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.[1][3]

Illustration of S. quadrijuga by George Hudson.

Meyrick described the species as follows:

♂. 13 millimetres (0.51 in). Head pale greyish. Antennae dark fuscous. Thorax purplish. Abdomen grey, lateral claspers and supraanal projection longer and narrower than in caustica. Forewings ovate-lanceolate, less acute than in caustica, stalk of 7 and 8 extremely short; deep purple, irregularly mixed with coppery-golden, darker and bluish on costa; four subquadrate ochreous-whitish spots on costa between base and 3⁄4, larger anteriorly, and a dot towards apex: cilia grey-whitish, with several dark grey bars. Hindwings violet-grey, darker towards apex; cilia grey-whitish, on costa barred with grey suffusion.[2]

The forewings of S. quadrijuga are predominantly black,[4] and this ensures it looks similar to a small black caddisfly.[1] The nearest relative of S. quadrijuga is S. aurantissima.[1]

This species is endemic to New Zealand.[5] It is found in Dunedin area and in Southland.[1] The range of S. quadrijuga overlaps with the range of S. caustica.[1]

The adults of this species are on the wing from September to November.[1]

The larvae of this species feeds on foliose liverwort species and the adults likely feed on fern spores or sedge pollen.[1] Adults are known to fly close to the ground and prefer well lit damp mossy habitats.[6]