Helastia farinata
Helastia farinata is a moth of the family Geometridae. It was first described by William Warren in 1896. This species is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the North Island. H. farinata inhabits shady and damp forest ravines. Taxonomy 
It was first described by William Warren in 1896 using specimens collected by George Hudson in Wellington and named Xanthorhoe farinata. In 1912 Louis Beethoven Prout placed this species in the genus Larentia and affirmed this placement again in 1939. Edward Meyrick returned this species to the genus Xanthorhoe in 1917. George Hudson followed this placement when he discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 publication The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. In 1971 J. S. Dugdale placed this species in the genus Helastia and this placement was confirmed by Robin C. Craw when he revised the genus in 1987. Dugdale agreed with this placement in his 1988 publication Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa. The male lectotype is held at the Natural History Museum, London. Description 

Warren described this species as follows:

Distribution 
This species is endemic to New Zealand. H. farinata is found in the North Island only in the Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Wellington regions. Although George Hudson records in 1939 that this species was observed in Awapiri, Marlborough, Craw pointes out that in Te Papa there is a faded specimen of Dichromodes sphaeriata which may have led Hudson to this conclusion. Habitat 
The preferred habitat of H. farinata is shady and damp forest ravines. Behaviour
Adults of this species have been observed to be on the wing in January, February and September. Adults are nocturnal and are attracted to light. References

Moths of New Zealand
Endemic fauna of New Zealand
Moths described in 1896
Taxa named by William Warren (entomologist)
Cidariini
Endemic moths of New Zealand