Mocis Species moths

Mocis alterna EREBINAE EREBIDAE

Sometimes called a Bean Looper.
Mocis alterna are native to Australia. Common in northern Australia, northwestern parts of Western Australia,  Northern Territory, in Queensland, and northern New South Wales. Mostly in coastal regions.
Larvae food is mostly foliage in Soybeans ( Glycine max, FABACEAE ), also Green Beans (Phaseolus species, FABACEAE ) and Lucerne (Medicago sativa, FABACEAE ).

Family:- EREIBIDAE
Sub Family:- EREBINAE
Genus:- Mocis
Species:- alterna

Showing the hind wings.

Pale version.













The eggs hatch in 3-6 days. There are six larval stages. Larvae take 2-3 weeks to develop before pupating under leaves in a loose silken cocoon.

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Mocis frugalis EREBINAE EREBIDAE

Sometimes called a Sugarcane Looper.

This moth is also common through the northern parts of Australia, northwestern parts of Western Australia,  Northern Territory, Queensland, and northern New South Wales. Mostly in coastal regions.

The life cycle is pretty much the same as M. alterna above. It is also a minor pest on Soy Bean but prefers grasses and other plants listed below.
Mocis frugalis feed on grasses (POACEAE) and sometimes sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum, POACEAE) and Oats (Avena species, POACEAE)   and various Grasses ( POACEAE ).

Family:- EREBIDAE
Sub Family:- EREBINAE
Genus:- Mocis
Species:- frugalis

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Maliattha amorpha

Maliattha amorpha EUSTROTIINAE NOCTUIDAE

Was:- Maliattha amorpha ACONTIINAE NOCTUIDAE
Wing span about 19mm
The colour of the dark part of the pattern on the wings can vary from light tan to dark brown or with a hint of green or sometimes almost yellow.

Family:- NOCTUIDAE
Sub Family:- EUSTROTIINAE
Genus:- Maliattha
Species:- amorpha

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Meranda susialis EREBINAE EREBIDAE

Was:- Meranda susialis CATOCALINAE NOCTUIDAE

Family:- EREBIDAE
Sub Family:- EREBINAE
Genus:-  Meranda
Species:- susialis

I was not able to find much information on the biology of these moths.

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Leucania diatrecta

Leucania diatrecta NOCTUINAE NOCTUIDAE

Was:- Leucania diatrecta HADENINAE NOCTUIDAE
I wasn't able to find out anything much about the biology of these moths.

Family:- NOCTUIDAE
Sub Family:- NOCTUINAE
Genus:- Leucania
Species:- diatrecta






















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Leucania venalba NOCTUINAE NOCTUIDAE

Not too sure of the identification of this one.
It is most likely to be Leucania venalba HADENINAE NOCTUIDAE
Was:- Leucania venalba HADENINAE NOCTUIDAE

Family:- NOCTUIDAE
Sub Family:- NOCTUINAE
Genus:- Leucania
Species:- venalba (probably)










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Lophotoma diagrapha HYPENINAE EREBIDAE

Family:- EREBIDAE
Sub Family:-  HYPENINAE
Genus:-  Lophotoma
Species:- diagrapha




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Lophotoma metabula HYPENINAE EREBIDAE

I did a blog on another moth in the same genus, Lophotoma metabula HYPENINAE NOCTUIDAE on Wednesday, 7 October 2015, but there has been a name change and it is now
 Lophotoma metabula HYPENINAE EREBIDAE

Family:- EREBIDAE
Sub Family:-  HYPENINAE
Genus:-  Lophotoma
Species:- metabula







I have added a note to the previous blog entry abut the name change.

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Hypocala guttiventris

 Hypocala guttiventris HYPOCALINAE EREBIDAE

Was:- Hypocala guttiventris CATOCALINAE NOCTUIDAE
The forewing is variable in colour and often found without the dark area
Wingspan about 35mm.
This is a fuit piercing moth.

Family:- EREBIDAE
Sub Family:- HYPOCALINAE
Genus:- Hypocala
Species:- guttiventris

Synonyms :-
Hypocala lativitta Walker, 1865
Hypocala tryphaenina Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874

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Ipanica cornigera AGARISTINAE NOCTUIDAE

This is apparently  the only species in the genus Ipanica. There have been samples collected in Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. there is also a recording in South Australia very close to the intersection of the borders of Qld, NSW and SA.
Wikipedia also says Tasmania but the Atlas of Living Australia does not record it there.
Although other AGARISTINAE often fly during the day, Moths of Australia (I.F.B Common 1990) records Ipanica cornigera as being mainly nocturnal, and this is consistent with what I have seen here.
Wing span 30mm approx.

Family:- NOCTUIDAE
Sub Family:- AGARISTINAE
Genus:- Ipanica
Species:- corniger

The second moth in this photo is probably Achyra affinitalis PYRAUSTINAE CRAMBIDAE

(see the post Wednesday, 6 April 2016)

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Hypena masurialis

Hypena masurialis HYPENINAE EREBIDAE

Was:- Hypena subvittalis HYPENINAE NOCTUIDAE
Identification was a little difficult for this moth. Lepidoptera.butterflyhouse has a sample that looks like a good match that is named Hypena subvittalis with a synonym of Hypena rhynchalis, but BOLD systems has a number of samples of H. subvittalis that do not look like a match at all, and no samples of H. rhynchalis.
Further searching led me to a site that had a reasonable match named Hypena masurialis, and BOLD systems samples under that name are mostly a very good match. Samples have also been taken in this area.
The host plant listed for H. masurialis is Commelina cyanea (COMMELINACEAE), "WANDERING SAILOR" or sometimes "Wandering Jew" or "Scurvey Weed".  The local variety, however,  is Commelina diffusa and is so similar that there have, in the past, been some differences of opinion as to whether they are the same plant.  Commelina diffusa  is a common plant here and so is most likely to host our moth.
Further information on the plants can be obtained by going to the "Toowoomba plants 2008" blog site, a link is provided in the right margin of  this BLOG and enter the plant in the search box at the top of the page.

Family:- EREBIDAE
Sub Family:- HYPENINAE
Genus:- Hypena
Species:- masurialis









This is a common at rest pose, with the wings tucked in to the body and forming a high peak.

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