Glaucocharis pyrsophanes is a moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1882. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found throughout the country including the North, South and Stewart Islands. It inhabits native forest from lowland and subalpine altitudes. It is said to be common in sunny but damp forest openings. Larvae of Glaucocharis species feed on mosses and liverworts. Adults are on the wing from October until February. They are known to feed from and pollinate Leptospermum scoparium and Helichrysum selago.
This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1882 and named Diptychophora pyrsophanes. Meyrick gave a fuller description of this species in 1883. George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under that name in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand. In 1971 David Edward Gaskin placed this species in the genus Pareromene. However, in 1985 Gaskin recognised that Glaucocharis must take precedence over Pareromene and placed G. pyrsophanes into that genus. The female lectotype, collected at the Wellington Botanic Garden by Meyrick, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.
Meyrick described this species as follows:
This species is easily distinguished from similar appearing species in this genus as a result of its larger size and also its forewing pattern. Unlike G. planetopa it does not have an oval silvery kidney shaped patch on the forewings nor, unlike G. microdora, does it have the large yellow sigma shape on the first forewing line. G. pyrosphanes can also be distinguished from G. microdora as it has broad white bars on the cilia of its fore-wings unlike the latter species.
Hudson states that this species can vary in the intensity of ground colour and the extent and number of yellow markings. He pointes out that South Island specimens tend to be paler with a more slaty hue to their forewings and smaller yellow markings.
This species is endemic to New Zealand. This species is common and generally distributed throughout the country including Stewart Island.
G. pyrsophanes inhabits lowland to subalpine native forest. It can be common in openings in forest particularly if they are damp but sunny. Larvae of Glaucocharis species feed on mosses and liverworts. Adults of this moth are known to feed from and pollinate Leptospermum scoparium and Helichrysum selago.
Adults are on the wing from late October until February. When in flight this species is difficult to see as a result of its dark colouring and dizzying flight.