400 Moth Species

After a couple of re-counts and some re-naming, I find I have now put photos of 400 species on this Blog.
As stated in the "about" page, these photos are of moths solely from our 1 Hectare block just north of Toowoomba in Queensland Australia. A large number of the moths are breeding here on the many local native species that we have in the garden, and are regularly seen, some are short term visitors, some are temporary "blow-ins" and are only seen occasionally.

Most of the photos are taken of live moths on a large window in our lounge room, and are attracted to the normal house lights, not the powerful actinic lights or Mercury lights often used. I sometimes use a very small UV "party" light to help keep the moths on the window while being photographed.
Some tiny moths are captured in an "aquarium", which is 2 lens filters screwed together. Amazingly, some are still able to fly in this restricted space. Once photographed they are released.

The current severe drought, (since 2014) has affected the number of moths, while still getting a good variety. I expect numbers to recover quickly once we get rain.

This is not the end of the Blog. There are still quite a lot of species to go, although just how many remains to be seen, because I have hundreds of photos yet to be identified. Some will be repeats others will be new.

September 2018.

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Eulechria triferella OECOPHORINAE OECOPHORIDAE

 The genus Eulechria can be quite difficult to get a positive identification for. Many of the species look very similar visually and can only be identified with any certainty using dissection and/or DNA.
Having compared the photos of this moth with others in books and reliable sites I think this ID is probably correct.

The larval food of the Eulechria genus is frequently the dead leaves of Eucalyptus species.

Family:- OECOPHORIDAE
Sub Family:- OECOPHORINAE
Genus:-  Eulechria
Species:- triferella






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Garrha ocellifera OECOPHORINAE OECOPHORIDAE

 Wing span about 15mm.
One source quotes the larval food source as dead leaves of Eucalyptus trees while another site suggests that the dead leaves of Angophora species are the food source. I think the first comment on food source was made before some trees that had been in Eucalyptus were changed to Angophora. The sources were not dated.
They are both in the family Myrtaceae. 
Angophora is closely related to Corymbia and Eucalyptus but has opposite leaves.

Family:- OECOPHORIDAE
Sub Family:- OECOPHORINAE
Genus:- Garrha
Species:- ocellifera












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Garrha pudica OECOPHORINAE OECOPHORIDAE

The larval food source of this moth is pretty much the same as Garrha ocellifera in the post above.
They are very wide spread throughout Australia and very common.

Family:- OECOPHORIDAE
Sub Family:- OECOPHORINAE
Genus:- Garrha
Species:- pudica










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updated entry

The entry for :-
Eulechria atmospila OECOPHORINAE OECOPHORIDAE, Wednesday, 4 November 2015
has been altered. It was originally under another (incorrect) name.
Details are given with the new entry.
(Blog modified 28 /08/18)

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Barea consignatella OECOPHORINAE OECOPHORIDAE

 Similar to the moth Barea confusella, the larvae of both moths feed on the sapwood under the bark of dead trees forming tunnels in the timber.
The genus Barea has about 100 plus species in Australia.

Family:- OECOPHORIDAE
Sub Family:- OECOPHORINAE
Genus:- Barea
Species:- consignatella










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Chezala brachypepla  OECOPHORINAE OECOPHORIDAE

It is likely that the larval food source is dead leaves of the Eucalyptus trees.

Family:- OECOPHORIDAE
Sub Family:- OECOPHORINAE
Genus:- Chezala
Species:- brachypepla











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Hepialidae update

I have recently received a lot of help on identification of the Hepialid moths that I put on the Blog February 15th, 22nd and March 1st 2017, and I would recommend looking back over them if you are interested.

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 Fraus crocea HEPIALIDAE

I originally put this moth on the Blog as LYMANTRIINAE, Unknown 1296-7837, on May 31st 2017, in the hope that someone would be able to give me help in identifying it. That help came recently from a gentleman, Ethan, in South Australia who has been doing research on the SA Museum Hepialid moths.
 
The moth pictured is Fraus crocea HEPIALIDAE. It one of the primative Hepialids. It is endemic to New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.
The wingspan is quoted as being about 20 mm for males and about 35 mm for females, however in the photo you can see the screen mesh, which is 2mm mesh. This gives the moth a wing span of around 30mm, and it is almost certainly a male. There may be size variations depending on climate and temperature as there are in many other species.
Adults vary in colour from pale yellow to brown, red or grey.
The only reference I could find for the larval food plant was for another species F. Simulans and they breed on grasses.

Family:- HEPIALIDAE
Genus:- Fraus 
Species:- crocea

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Aristeis hepialella OECOPHORINAE OECOPHORIDAE

This unusual moth is found in Eastern Queensland Northern Territory and New South Wales, its larvae feed on green Eucalyptus leaves,  including having been found on Narrow-leaved Ironbark (E. crebra, MYRTACEAE).
Wing span about 20mm
.

Family:- OECOPHORIDAE
Sub Family:- OECOPHORINAE
Genus:- Aristeis
Species:- hepialella











The brown patch on the forewings is often quite large, covering much of the wings

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Sorama bicolor 

Sorama bicolor NOTODONTINAE NOTODONTIDAE

I was not able to find much information about these moths.
Larval food plant includes a wide range of Gum Trees (Eucalyptus, MYRTACEAE).
These are a fairly large moth with a wingspan around 50mm to 60mm.
 

 Family:-  NOTODONTIDAE
Sub Family:- NOTODONTINAE
Genus:- Sorama
Species:- bicolor

 This second photo is a lighter and the colour range  varies between the light and dark.

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Hylaeora capucina  NOTODONTINAE NOTODONTIDAE

These moths are fairly large moth and wing span is also in the 50-60mm range
Larval food plant also includes a wide range of Gum Trees (Eucalyptus, MYRTACEAE).

Family:- NOTODONTIDAE
Sub Family:- NOTODONTINAE
Genus:- Hylaeora
Species:- capucina

The moths vary between the light and dark variations.

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Amyna natalis BAGISARINAE NOCTUIDAE

 Amyna natalis BAGISARINAE NOCTUIDAE

This moth has been found from north Queensland to central New South Wales coastal and inland. The unusual patches on its wings probably mean it is a male and according to Moths of Australia, (I.F.B. Common 1990), "(the moths) make an audible sibilant sound as they fly in circles about 30cm in diameter and about 20cm above the ground. If disturbed the sound ceases immediately". He goes on to say that the cause of the sound and its purpose has not been studied and later says that it is possible the wing marks may play a part.
In our case the larval food plants are likely to be Abutilon or Sida rhombifolia (Malvaceae).

 Family:- NOCTUIDAE
Sub Family:- BAGISARINAE
Genus:- Amyna
Species:- natalis

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Anomis involuta SCOLIOPTERYGINAE EREBIDAE

Previously:- Anomis involuta CATOCALINAE NOCTUIDAE
Since other moths in the same genus feed on Hibiscus and other plants in the Malvaceae family of plants, the most likely larval food plant here is a native Hibiscus. I have also photographed an Anomis Combinans larvae on Hibiscus here.

Family:- EREBIDAE
Sub Family:- SCOLIOPTERYGINAE
Genus:- Anomis
Species:- involuta

Family:- EREBIDAE
Sub Family:- SCOLIOPTERYGINAE
Genus:- Anomis
Species:- Combinans










Species names:-
Anomis involuta seems to be the preferred name but a couple of sites are using Gonitis as the genus so the list below shows some of the synonyms.
Anomis involuta (Walker 1858), Gonitis involuta (also Walker 1858) = Gonitis basalis (also Walker 1858) = Tiridata colligata (Walker 1865) = Gonitis vitiensis (Butler 1886) = Cosmophila dona (Swinhoe 1919) = Anomis brima (Swinhoe 1920) = sabulifera.

The last entry, A.sabulifera, is said to not be the same moth as A. involuta but a similar moth from Africa and is often confused with A. involuta. I will leave the decision up to those who are interested in such details.

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Epicoma melanospila

Epicoma melanospila THAUMETOPOEINAE NOTODONTIDAE 

Found in Queensland,  New South Wales and Victoria.
This is a Female, Males have a dark bar across the fore wing.

The caterpillars feed on various plants from the family MYRTACEAE, including:
Callistemon, Eucalyptus, Leptospermum and Kunzea.
The caterpillars will occasionally form a procession.

 Family:- NOTODONTIDAE
Sub Family:- THAUMETOPOEINAE
Genus:- Epicoma
Species:- melanospila






The red patch on the top of it's head is typical in breeding season.

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 Neola semiaurata NOTODONTINAE NOTODONTIDAE 

Larval food plants are a number of Acacia (Leguminosae), and several Dodonaea (Sapindaceae ).
It is a large moth wingspan about 60mm
An unusual caterpillar that has a hidden "eyespot" that it exposes when threatened.

Family:- NOTODONTIDAE
Sub Family:- NOTODONTINAE
Genus:- Neola
Species:- semiaurata




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 Destolmia lineata

Destolmia lineata PYGAERINAE NOTODONTIDAE

Was:- Destolmia lineata NOTODONTINAE NOTODONTIDAE

Looking at the various photographs of specimens of this moth I find there is a large range of wing paterns.
The larval food plant is Eucalyptus trees and they pupate under ground.
Many of the adult moths have a black longitudinal band along the fore wing, although the ones we get here are mostly like those in the included photos.

Family:- NOTODONTIDAE
Sub Family:- PYGAERINAE
Genus:- Destolmia 
Species:- lineata

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Ecnomodes sagittaria NOTODONTINAE NOTODONTIDAE

I was not able to find anything about the biology of this moth.
It has a wing span of about 40mm.
It has one synonym:- Chlenias sagittaria.

Family:- NOTODONTIDAE
Sub Family:- NOTODONTINAE
Genus:- Ecnomodes
Species:- sagittaria

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