Spodoptera litura

Spodoptera litura NOCTUINAE NOCTUIDAE

Was:- Spodoptera litura AMPHIPYRINAE NOCTUIDAE

Both these photos are of males. The light blue stripe near the end of the fore wing is the indicator.
None of the photos I have taken on our property are of females. They are certain to be here, but I
have never managed to photographed them.
The caterpillars are an agricultural pest both here and overseas, and will eat nearly any leafy
plant, as well as mosses and ferns.

Family:- NOCTUIDAE
Sub Family:- NOCTUINAE
Genus:-  Spodoptera
Species:- litura

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Tathorhynchus

Tathorhynchus fallax TOXOCAMPINAE EREBIDAE

Was:- Tathorhynchus fallax CATOCALINAE NOCTUIDAE
Some sites are still using CATOCALINAE  as the sub family in the family EREBIDAE, but BOLD systems uses the sub family TOXOCAMPINAE, family EREBIDAE. I have been sticking to the BOLD systems identification.

When I first identifies this moth as Tathorhynchus fallax, I found there was a lot of confusion about
its name. One site was quoting a synonym of T. exsiccata. This now seems to have settled, and T.
exsiccata appears to be a separate species in Africa and America and Tathorhynchus fallax is the one
we get here. The book Moths of Australia (I.F.B. Common 1990) places Tathorhynchus fallax as a
subspecies of T. exsiccata.

The larval food plant in America is Lucern, also known as Alfalfa (Medicago sativa, FABACEAE), but according to Moths of Australia (I.F.B. Common 1990) the food plant in Australia has not been
recorded and I was unable to find any definite information.

Family:- EREBIDAE
Sub Family:- TOXOCAMPINAE
Genus:-  Tathorhynchus
Species:- fallax

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 Back to moths

After a short break I am back to sorting moths again.
I often complain about the lack of rain in our area, but after a trip through the outback regions of South Australia I really can't complain.  Areas of western New South Wales and out back regions of South Australia are in extreme drought.

In many areas we visited, large numbers of wild bees, (these are escaped European honey bees), are searching for water. Swarms of them surround you if any water is left out. The European bees are displacing the native bees in the wild.
Then there are the bush flies!! In their thousands.
 D.G.

It only takes about 5 minutes to go from the first photo to the second.

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Rusicada revocans

Rusicada revocans CALPINAE EREBIDAE

The larval food plants for this moth are mainly plants in the MALVACEAE and STERCULIACEAE families. In our case we have one plant, Yellow Trumpet Mallow, (Abutilon tubulosum, Family: MALVACEAE) right outside our lounge room window.

We also have another plant  Native Hibiscus, (Hibiscus eterophyllus Family: MALVACEAE), in a number of places in the yard. Photos of these plants are on the blog toowoombaplants2008.blogspot.com.au and search for MALVACEAE and STERCULIACEAE.
The moth is also sometimes a fruit piercing moth and is therefore an agricultural pest.

Family:- EREBIDAE
Sub Family:- CALPINAE
Genus:-  Rusicada
Species:- revocans













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Rhapsa suscitatalis

 Rhapsa suscitatalis EREBINAE EREBIDAE
I was not able to find anything much about these moths and their biology.
Although the moth is usually seen with its labial palps pointed forward, it is also possible for them to fold the labial palps back to in front of the head.

Family:- EREBIDAE
Sub Family:-  EREBINAE
Genus:- Rhapsa
Species:- suscitatalis

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Proteuxoa flexirena AMPHIPYRINAE NOCTUIDAE

Proteuxoa flexirena AMPHIPYRINAE NOCTUIDAE

 Family:- NOCTUIDAE
Sub Family:- AMPHIPYRINAE
Genus:- Proteuxoa
Species:- flexirena










                                                

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 Proteuxoa Poss tortisigna AMPHIPYRINAE NOCTUIDAE

 Below are two very similar moths. They may be the same species, it is too difficult to be sure. There are some definite differences in the dark areas at the end of the fore wings, but I think this is pretty slim evidence to base a positive ID on. The names I have provided may give a clue as to where to look if you are trying to identify a similar moth.

In fact I think there are really only the two moths that they are likely to be, P. paragypsa and P. tortisigna. If you take into account that the only areas that P. paragypsa have been collected are south of Sydney, that puts a fairly strong case for both of these moths to be P. tortisigna.

Family:- NOCTUIDAE
Sub Family:- AMPHIPYRINAE
Genus:- Proteuxoa
Species:- Sp Probably tortisigna

Family:- NOCTUIDAE
Sub Family:- AMPHIPYRINAE
Genus:- Proteuxoa
Species:- Sp Possibly either paragypsa or tortisigna











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Praxis porphyretica EREBINAE EREBIDAE

Praxis porphyretica EREBINAE EREBIDAE

Was:- Praxis porphyretica CALPINAE NOCTUIDAE

There seems to be a slight difference of opinion as to the correct name.
BOLD systems and ALA both list it as Praxis porphyretica EREBINAE EREBIDAE, but http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/ list it as Praxis porphyretica CALPINAE EREBIDAE.

Family:- EREBIDAE
Sub Family:- EREBINAE
Genus:- Praxis 
Species:- porphyretica






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  Prometopus inassueta AMPHIPYRINAE NOCTUIDAE

Family:- NOCTUIDAE
Sub Family:- AMPHIPYRINAE
Genus:- Prometopus 
Species:- inassueta










I was not able to find anything about these two moths in the way of food plants or biology.
Generally if a moth has not been studied in detail it is because it is not an agricultural pest.

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Pataeta conspicienda

Pataeta conspicienda EUTELIINAE EUTELIIDAE

Was:- Pataeta conspicienda EUTELIINAE NOCTUIDAE

There are two species of Pataeta in Australia,  Pataeta carbo and  Pataeta conspicienda, the latter having an elongated white marking on the fore wing. In the majority of the samples that I could find
those identified as P. carbo didn't have the marking.
The areas where both species are found are very similar, although P. carbo seems to be more coastal.
The larval food for P. carbo include Eucalyptus  and Callistemon (both MYRTACEAE) and it is likely that P. conspicienda is the same.

Family:- EUTELIIDAE
Sub Family:- EUTELIINAE
Genus:- Pataeta
Species:- conspicienda









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Targalla plumbea EUTELIINAE EUTELIIDAE

Was:- Targalla plumbea EUTELIINAE NOCTUIDAE

Family:- EUTELIIDAE
Sub Family:- EUTELIINAE
Genus:- Targalla
Species:- plumbea





When I first put this post on the internet I put it on as Penicillaria jocosatrix EUTELIINAE NOCTUIDAE. Even though the photo I was comparing my photo with was an excellent match, I put it on with the reservation that I didn't think the identification was correct. I have since found that the owner of the original photo has re-identified it elsewhere on the internet correctly as Targalla plumbea EUTELIINAE  EUTELIIDAE. This name also check out with other sites.

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Pantydia  Moths

Pantydia sparsa EREBINAE EREBIDAE

Was:- Pantydia sparsa CATOCALINAE NOCTUIDAE

Larval food plants include plants in families FABACEAE and SANTALACEAE.
We have a number of plants in those families.

Family:-  EREBIDAE
Sub Family:- EREBINAE
Genus:- Pantydia
Species:- sparsa










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Pantydia metaspila EREBINAE EREBIDAE

Was:- Pantydia metaspila CATOCALINAE NOCTUIDAE

With this one the larval food plants are in the VERBENACEAE and FABACEAE families.

Family:-  EREBIDAE
Sub Family:- EREBINAE
Genus:- Pantydia
Species:- metaspila

There are more Pantydia that we see here but most of them are difficult to identify with any degree of accuracy so I might leave the others out for the time being. Perhaps I will revisit them at a later date.









Another example can be found in a post on "Pantydia capistrata CATOCALINAE NOCTUIDAE" on  Wednesday, 15 April 2015

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Ozarba chrysaspis EUSTROTIINAE NOCTUIDAE

Was:- Ozarba chrysaspis ACONTIINAE NOCTUIDAE

I couldn't find information about these two moths or their larvae.

Other members of the genus Ozarba, in Africa, are known to feed on plants in the Acanthaceae and Poaceae families.

Family:- NOCTUIDAE
Sub Family:- EUSTROTIINAE
Genus:- Ozarba
Species:- chrysaspis












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Ozarba punctigera EUSTROTIINAE NOCTUIDAE 

 Was:- Ozarba punctigera ACONTIINAE NOCTUIDAE

As above, other members of the genus Ozarba, in Africa, are known to feed on plants in the Acanthaceae and Poaceae families.

Family:- NOCTUIDAE
Sub Family:- EUSTROTIINAE
Genus:- Ozarba
Species:- punctigera












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