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Wednesday 25 January 2017

Prasinocyma Genus GEOMETRIDAE

There are around 16 species in Prasinocyma in Australia
They mainly feed on Eucalyptus species.

Prasinocyma iosticta GEOMETRINAE GEOMETRIDAE



Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- GEOMETRINAE
Genus:- Prasinocyma
Species:- iosticta






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Prasinocyma rhodocosma GEOMETRINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Common name Northern Emerald.
There is a bit of variation in the wing patterns so I have included a selection of photos.



Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- GEOMETRINAE
Genus:- Prasinocyma
Species:- rhodocosma























The underside photos on the right are from the moths to their left.

Another in species (Prasinocyma semicrocea) was included on Wednesday, 12 October 2016


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Wednesday 18 January 2017

Taxeotis moths, OENOCHROMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Because there a number of species in the Taxeotis genus that look very similar, it is not possible to be absolutely sure of the identificationa of these moths from photos. However, I have tried to name them correctly but in this case there is a lot of room for error.
Please consider the species names to be possibles rather than absolute.

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Taxeotis intextata OENOCHROMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

 



Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- OENOCHROMINAE
Genus:- Taxeotis
Species:- intextata (possibly)



The photo on the right is of a moth that has suffered a fair amount of damage from lost scales. this accounts for some of the difference between them.

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Taxeotis stereospila (possibly) OENOCHROMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

 

 

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- OENOCHROMINAE
Genus:- Taxeotis
Species:- stereospila (possibly)






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Taxeotis perlinearia (possibly) OENOCHROMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

 


Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- OENOCHROMINAE
Genus:- Taxeotis
Species:- perlinearia (possibly)





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Wednesday 11 January 2017

Pholodes sinistraria  "Sinister moth"

 Pholodes sinistraria BOARMIINI ENNOMINAE GEOMETRIDAE


They are not really "sinister", they are also sometimes called a "frilled bark moth".


Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- ENNOMINAE
Genus:- Pholodes
Species:- sinistraria


Above is the female.













 Directly above is the male and to the right is the male underside.

The larvae of these moths is known to eat a variety of native and imported plants. According to Moths of Australia (Common 1990), they will eat garden mint, apple, apricot, citrus and lichi, as well as the native Eucalyptus, Angophora (Myrtacaea) and Exocarpus (Santalaceae).
As you can see in the photos the males and females are different.
Do note the magnificent pectinations on the antennae of the males.

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Phrissogonus laticostata LARENTIINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Although I did a blog on this moth back on the 7th of October 2015, I didn't realise at the time that this species also have distinct male and female forms.
The male is the one with the "tufts" on the leading edge of the forewing.
So here are the male and female together.



Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- LARENTIINAE
Genus:- Phrissogonus
Species:- laticostata

This is the male.





Left is the female.









Phrissogonus laticostata larvae feeds on the flowers & buds of Acacia (Mimosaceae), but has also been found on Apple, Clematis Aristata and St John's Wort.

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Wednesday 4 January 2017

OENOCHROMINAE

 In Moths of Australia, (Common 1990), refering to the family Oenochrominae, it says "there about 250 described species in 48 genera", in Australia.
The moths this week are from the genus Oenochroma.

Oenochroma vinaria OENOCHROMINAE GEOMETRIDAE 




Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- OENOCHROMINAE
Genus:- Oenochroma
Species:- vinaria


 This is a fairly large moth, and as you can see from the photos the colours can vary quite a bit.

The dark purple/red photo is fairly true to colour for some of the darker ones we get.
Larvae feed on Proteaceae, mainly Grevillea and Hakea.




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Oenochroma infatillis OENOCHROMINAE GEOMETRIDAE




Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- OENOCHROMINAE
Genus:-  Oenochroma
Species:- infatillis




 Quite a common moth around here. A number of the genus feed on Proteaceae, so perhaps these do too.

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 Oenochroma cycnoptera OENOCHROMINAE GEOMETRIDAE





Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- OENOCHROMINAE
Genus:-  Oenochroma
Species:- cycnoptera








I still have a few doubts about the identification of this moth, mostly because it is out of the range that is quoted for collected samples. It is the only time I have photographed it, although I have seen it a couple of other times.


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