Hepialidae
EDIT August 2018:- Please read the note at the end of this introduction.This is one of the most difficult families to identify from photographs. The males often differ from the females, the males differ from each other and so do the females. There are regional differences as well. In fact the wing markings cannot really be relied on at all!
Some of the moths will be the same species with different markings because they were photographed over several years, and the changing ecology of the area may account for changing markings. The photographs were taken between 2010 and 2014, the last of the photos in May 2014 and, although it may be coincidental, this coincides with the removal of a Eucalyptus tree, a Pink Bloodwood (Corymbia intermedia), which grew next to the house.
I believe that many of the photographs of the moths that I will put on the blog over the next few weeks are members of the Oxycanus genus, in fact I think most of them will be.
In keeping with the aims of this Blog, I will put all the Hepialidae moths that I have photographed on the Blog with numbers, and if anyone believes they can identify any of them with some certainty I would very much like to hear from you.
Edited August 2018:- I have received considerable help from Ethan, a volunteer at the SA Museum with expertise in Hepialidae moths. Although there is always a chance that there are errors in the identification, I believe it is likely that they are all reasonably correct, but care should be taken. Where precise identification is required the only way is via dissection and DNA.
************************************************************************************
Family:- HEPIALIDAE
Genus:- Oxycanus
Species:- beltista
Family:- HEPIALIDAE
Genus:- Oxycanus
Species:- beltista
Family:- HEPIALIDAE
Genus:- Oxycanus
Species:- beltista
Family:- HEPIALIDAE
Genus:- Oxycanus
Species:- beltista
HEPIALIDAE 9984 on - 4043 underside of 4039
Family:- HEPIALIDAE
Genus:- Oxycanus
Species:- beltista
HEPIALIDAE 9984 on - 4041
Family:- HEPIALIDAE
Genus:- Oxycanus
Species:- beltista
Family:- HEPIALIDAE
Genus:- Oxycanus
Species:- beltista
Family:- HEPIALIDAE
Genus:- Oxycanus
Species:- beltista
***************************************************************************
Family:- HEPIALIDAE
Genus:- Oxycanus
Species:- beltista (most likely)
Family:- HEPIALIDAE
Genus:- Oxycanus
Species:- beltista (most likely)
For anyone interested in looking up Hepialidae moths here a few web sites that are helpful.
http://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:27b930f3-9c63-442a-b1f3-984c802b6362#gallery
http://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Taxbrowser_Taxonpage?taxon=Hepialidae&searchTax=
http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/hepi/hepialidae.html
********************************************************************************
