The critter of the week is the newly crowned Bug of the Year 2026, the Avatar moth! This beautiful day-flying moth is only found on the Denniston Plateau, from 640 to 850m. They eat alpine marshwort found in ephemeral wetlands and enjoy basking in the sun to help regulate their body temperature. Males find females through pheromones and use their furry comb-like antenna to locate them. This year, they came first in the 2026 Bug of the Year competition, with an overwhelming 5192 votes! The Avatar moth is "Nationally Critical" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.