Moths of Toowoomba

An unusual moth, Lacera noctilio

                          
Family:- NOCTUIDAE
Sub Family:- CATOCALINAE
Genus:- Lacera
Species:- noctilio

This was an unusual visitor a couple of nights ago. It insisted in resting with it’s wings raised like a butterfly, which made it difficult to get a photo of the upper surface. If it is breeding here, the most likely larval food plant on our property is probably Canthium (Psydrax) in the  Rubiaceae family. A body length of around 20mm (the insect screen it is on is 2mm grid), gives a wing span of about 40mm. You can find information on local native plants of Toowoomba on http://toowoombaplants2008.blogspot.com.au/


Periscoptera:-  moth body language

Family:- PYRALIDAE
Sub Family:- PYRALINAE
Genus:- Persicoptera
Species:- baryptera (possibly)












This is another one from April, although we see a number of a similar species through the summer months. At rest they lie flat as shown in the above photo but at times they have the unusual stance as shown in the photos below of Persicoptera compsopa.

Family:- PYRALIDAE
Sub Family:- PYRALINAE
Genus:- Persicoptera
Species:- compsopa













                                                                                                                                                                    

 Persicoptera compsopa is similar to Persicoptera baryptera above but I have included a sequence of photos to show the way they display, possibly for mating purposes. These photos were taken in December 2014.
(The insect screen is 2mm grid)

Clicking a photo will give a larger image.