Christmas

Below is the last posting for this year. To those readers who celebrate Christmas, I wish you a Merry
Christmas and I will resume posting in January 2017.
The pattern in the middle of the above card is a digital kaleidoscope of the photograph of the moth (Cosmodes elegans AMPHIPYRINAE NOCTUIDAE) shown in the corners of the card.


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Niceteria macrocosma NACOPHORINI ENNOMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- ENNOMINAE
Genus:- Niceteria
Species:- macrocosma

Larval food plants are Eucalyptus and Angophora costata, (Myrtaceae).








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Mnesiloba eupitheciata EUPITHECIINI LARENTIINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- LARENTIINAE
Genus:- Mnesiloba
Species:- eupitheciata



I could find no reference to the larval food plant.

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Beautiful Leaf Moth 

  Gastrophora henricaria OENOCHROMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

 Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- OENOCHROMINAE
Genus:- Gastrophora
Species:- henricaria

This moth attached itself to me while I was mowing. 
This is a female. The male has a narrow dark line across the fore wings.
The larval food plants include various species of Eucalyptus (Gum trees) and Brush Box (Lophostemon confertus).
Wing span 75 to 80mm.





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Scopula innocens STERRHINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- STERRHINAE
Genus:- Scopula
Species:- innocens




There are a number of moths in the Scopula genus that are similar to the photo above. The best match I found was on the site www.lepbarcoding.org. There have been samples taken north of us and down to the Queensland border.

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Scopula rubraria STERRHINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- STERRHINAE
Genus:- Scopula
Species:- rubraria






These are probably the most common moth on the grass areas of this property.
As the moths age so the pinkness of the rear wing fades.
The larval food plant is  Plantago lanceolata (PLANTAGINACEAE), a common weed in our grass. 

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GRACILLARIIDAE

Caloptilia azaleella GRACILLARIINAE GRACILLARIIDAE

 

 

Family:- GRACILLARIIDAE
Sub Family:- GRACILLARIINAE
Genus:- Caloptilia
Species:- azaleella











Caloptilia azaleella GRACILLARIINAE GRACILLARIIDAE
The larvae of this moth is considered a pest on azaleas and rhododendrons. They bore into the leaves of the plants. The first two larval instars are sap sucking, the third is tissue feeding (Collins, Moths of Australia 1990).
Caloptilia azaleella is similar to C. xanthopharella (See Wednesday, 18 November 2015), the larval food plant of which is Glochidion ferdinandi (cheese tree).
In both cases the "at rest" stance with the body raised is typical.
Wing span is around 10mm.

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Heliothela ophideresana HELIOTHELINI SCOPARIINAE CRAMBIDAE

 

Family:- CRAMBIDAE
Sub Family:- SCOPARIINAE
Genus:- Heliothela
Species:- ophideresana  







Heliothela ophideresana HELIOTHELINI SCOPARIINAE CRAMBIDAE
I was unable to find out the larval food plant.
Wingspan would be about 15mm.
The lighter areas on the rear wings are usually yellow. 
SYNONYMS:- Heliothela kruegeri, Heliothela ophideres, Heliothela pusilla, Orosana ophideresana
It is found in other countries such as:- Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, (Africanmoths.com).

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A total of 40 moth families have been found on this 1 Hectare (2.5 Acre) lot.

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STERRHINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Idaea inversata STERRHINAE GEOMETRIDAE

 Although there is a difference in the colour of the moths in these photos, they are still most likely to be the same species. 

 Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- STERRHINAE
Genus:- Idaea
Species:- inversata


 


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Melanodes anthracitaria NACOPHORINI ENNOMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- ENNOMINAE
Genus:- Melanodes
Species:- anthracitaria





Larval food plant is likely to be Eucalyptus species.

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Hypobapta Sp GEOMETRIDAE

Hypobapta barnardi GEOMETRINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- GEOMETRINAE
Genus:- Hypobapta
Species:- barnardi





Not to be confused with a similar species H. eugramma. The forewing markings are different.


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Hypobapta tachyhalotaria GEOMETRINAE GEOMETRIDAE 

 

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- GEOMETRINAE
Genus:- Hypobapta 
Species:- tachyhalotaria





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LITHININI ENNOMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

 Idiodes apicata LITHININI ENNOMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- ENNOMINAE
Genus:- Idiodes 
Species:- apicata


They are sometimes called "Bracken Moth". Although there is not much bracken on our place but there are ample supplies on a nearby paddock a couple of hundred metres away.
The wing patterns are known to be quite variable.

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 Oenochroma infantilis OENOCHROMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

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




Wing span was about 25mm


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NACOPHORINI ENNOMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

 Dolabrossa amblopa NACOPHORINI ENNOMINAE GEOMETRIDAE 

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- ENNOMINAE
Genus:- Dolabrossa
Species:- amblopa








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Zermizinga  sinuata  BOARMIINI ENNOMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

 This next one belongs to the tribe BOARMIINI beyond that it is difficult to be sure of the identification. If I have identified it correctly it is probably Zermizinga sinuata BOARMIINI ENNOMINAE GEOMETRIDAE. 
They are sometimes called Lucern Moths because they can be pests on that crop.

 Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- ENNOMINAE
Genus:- Zermizinga (Possibly)
Species:- sinuata (Possibly)




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ENNOMINAE GEOMETRIDAE 

Ectropis bispinaria (Possibly) ENNOMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Moths from the tribe BOARMIINI and particularly the genus Ectropis are difficult to identify from photographs. Many are very similar.

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- ENNOMINAE
Genus:- Ectropis
Species:- bispinaria (Possibly)




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Dysbatus stenodesma (Possibly) ENNOMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

 

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- ENNOMINAE
Genus:- Dysbatus
Species:- stenodesma (Possibly)





Dysbatus moths are variable in colour and pattern. This species usually has a short line from the tip of the forewing. Photographs of some named specimens look pretty much identical to this photo.

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 LARENTIINAE GEOMETRIDAE

 Chrysolarentia Sp LARENTIINAE GEOMETRIDAE

 

 

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- LARENTIINAE
Genus:-  Chrysolarentia
Species:- Sp

 

 

 

 

 

The moth on the left side above, is probably  Chrysolarentia Sp LARENTIINAE GEOMETRIDAE.

The moth on the right hand side of the photo above, and shown below, was not noticed at the time the photo was taken. Although the photo is far from focused on the right hand moth, it is worth including because the only references I could find for the collection points of the museum samples are all in the far north of Australia. Much further north and more tropical than Toowoomba.
The moth is quite small with a wingspan of about 10mm to 12mm
The only sample photos I could find are museum specimens with poor detail.

 

 

 Below:-

Asclerobia flavitinctella PHYCITINAE PYRALIDAE

 

 

 Family:- PYRALIDAE
Sub Family:- PHYCITINAE
Genus:- Asclerobia
Species:- flavitinctella

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 ENNOMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Gastrina cristaria NACOPHORINI ENNOMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

 Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- ENNOMINAE
Genus:- Gastrina
Species:- cristaria

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 Eumelea rosalia OENOCHROMINAE  GEOMETRIDAE

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- OENOCHROMINAE
Genus:- Eumelea
Species:- rosalia





Bright orange moths are something of a rarity around here although they can be quite variable. It doesn't look like very good camouflage.
According to Moths of Australia (IBF Common) it is not closely related to other Australian moths.
There are three species in Australia, two of which also occur in countries to our North.

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 LARENTIINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Chloroclystis cissocosma LARENTIINAE GEOMETRIDAE

 Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- LARENTIINAE
Genus:- Chloroclystis
Species:- cissocosma



These moths are  quite small and prefer to hide in the shadows and often go un-noticed.
Museum specimens lose their green colouring and become a grey brown.

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GEOMETRIDAE GEOMETRINAE Possibly Prasinocyma semicrocea

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- GEOMETRINAE
Genus:- Prasinocyma (Possibly)
Species:- semicrocea (Possibly)




I am not certain of the identification of the genus and species. This is an older moth and some of the wing markings may have been lost.

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Un-identified GELECHIOIDEA moth

This moth was photographed about a year ago. I have been unable to identify it. It is quite small, probably less than 8mm long in the body. The wings are fairly short and rounded. The labial palpae are prominent, upturned, and look quite sharp. This alone should generally put it in the superfamily Gelechioidea.

This moth has now been identified as Petalanthes hexastera OECOPHORINAE OECOPHORIDAE.
Also see Apr 26 17 re-visting Gelecioidea for the identification of  this moth.                                                                                                                               

 Super Family:- GELECHIOIDEA
Family:- not known, possibly HYPERTROPHIDAE
Sub Family:- not known
Genus:- not known
Species:- not known

The main families from Australia are listed below, and the closest I can get are some moths in Hypertrophidae. Even there, I could not find a good match, just some similarity in the forward wing pattern. The rear wing patterns in most cases are dull grey where the moth shown has distinctive  markings.



COSMOPTERIGIDAE, DEPRESSARIIDAE, ELACHISTIDAE, ETHMIIDAE, GELECHIIDAE
HYPERTROPHIDAE, LECITHOCERIDAE, OECOPHORIDAE, SCYTHRIDIDAE
SYMMOCIDAE, XYLORYCTIDAE

 

 Having searched many hundreds if not thousands of photos over the last year, it is time to put it in the too hard basket, in the hope that someone can perhaps come up with a name, genus, tribe or even a definite sub family.



If anyone reading this blog is able to shed any light on the identity of the moth please email me. The address is in the column to the right of the blog articles.


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 OENOCHROMINAE  GEOMETRIDAE

Epidesmia tryxaria OENOCHROMINAE  GEOMETRIDAE

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- OENOCHROMINAE
Genus:- Epidesmia 
Species:- tryxaria







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Epidesmia chilonaria OENOCHROMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- OENOCHROMINAE
Genus:- Epidesmia
Species:- chilonaria






These moths are quite common. On page 370 IFB Common, Moths of Australia, it is reported that
some larvae raised from eggs accepted Callistemon saligna, Eucalyptus tereticornis and
Angophora floribunda as food. All these plants are in the family Myrtaceae.


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NACOPHORINI ENNOMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Stibaroma Sp. NACOPHORINI ENNOMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Both the moths this week come from a group of moths that are difficult to identify, so no species name.

 Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- ENNOMINAE
Genus:- Stibaroma
Species:- Sp

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Dysbatus Sp NACOPHORINI ENNOMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- ENNOMINAE
Genus:- Dysbatus
Species:- Sp






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GEOMETRIDAE, Dissomorphia australiaria

Dissomorphia australiaria MACARIINI ENNOMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

 

 Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- ENNOMINAE
Genus:- Dissomorphia
Species:- australiaria

The second photo on the right for the moth above, has a second moth in the upper left hand corner, enlarged in the photo at left. This moth is tiny. The painted surface it is on appears smooth to the naked eye. I did not see the moth when I took the photo. I have not been able to identify it but I think it is possibly from the family OECOPHORIDAE.






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Eccymatoge Sp LARENTIINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- LARENTIINAE
Genus:- Eccymatoge Sp
Species:- Sp


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