Hypena masurialis
Hypena masurialis HYPENINAE EREBIDAE
Was:- Hypena subvittalis HYPENINAE NOCTUIDAEIdentification 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.
**********************************************************************************
