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Tuesday 24 September 2019

The end of the project

The two moths I have added today brings the total of moths I have put on this Blog to over 500.

This is far more than I ever believed possible from our one hectare block, and it has taken 6 years and a great deal of time searching out photos and information to try to identify the various species where possible.

Although I still have photos that I have not been able to identify, they probably will remain unidentified. The amount of time needed to identify the more difficult moths makes it a less pleasant task.

I will continue to monitor the Blog and will continue to follow the moths here and will put any identifiable moths on the blog, however the combination of severe drought, local habitat changes and a massive drop in the number of all insects makes it less likely we will see any new moths.

I hope visitors to this Blog have enjoyed the moths and what little information I have been able to provide, it has been a wonderful learning experience for me.
 Happy Mothing
Don

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Parotis Poss marginata SPILOMELINAE CRAMBIDAE

There are a couple of species it could be, but the most likely it is P. marginata.
The most likely larval food plant here is a Jasmin species (RUBIACEAE).
Wing span about 35mm.




Family:- CRAMBIDAE
Sub Family:- SPILOMELINAE
Genus:- Parotis
Species:- marginata (Probably)







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Euphiltra epilecta WINGIA GROUP OECOPHORINAE OECOPHORIDAE

Wing span about 12mm.





Family:- OECOPHORIDAE
Sub Family:- OECOPHORINAE
Genus:- Euphiltra
Species:- epilecta











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6 comments:

  1. Congratulations!
    Your moth diversity is amazing, and heartening. I keep finding new things, despite this extraordinary drought...I guess a species doesn't persist for hundreds and thousands, or millions, of years unless it has some truly deep resilience.

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  2. Thanks Nick,
    I keep hoping that when it rains the various species will bounce back. We will just have to wait and see.
    Although they have been around for a very long time, the changes that have already happened and are continuing to happen at an increasing rate may be too much for many species.
    Don

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  3. The future looks grim indeed, given it's happening now...
    The good thing is , thirty years ago, my hectare of Tamborine Mtn was grass, with one tallowwood, two pink bloodwoods, and a Clerodendron, and the blazing sun.
    It's now largely regrown with rainforest and eucalypts [most seeded from adjoining block], some exotics and some open space.
    I have, if I interpret my iNat stats correctly, at least 850 lepidopteran species recorded.
    The drought seems to have affected the larger geometrid numbers the most, but I don't know whether I have been observing for long enough [5 years] to really claim this with confidence.

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    Replies
    1. WOW Nick,
      I thought my 500 moth species was pretty amazing.
      Although I could add the 60 or so butterflies if we are including all lepidoptera.
      I have never done a collection series from the bottom of the block, different plants and may produce different species.
      I doubt we would ever get to 850 though.
      Don

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  4. That Euphiltra may be a beetle-mimic, the crease in the termen rounding the wings into 'elytra'.
    I have found a Hoplomorpha that does the same, and the wings have a lacquer-like gloss to complete the illusion.

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