Prasinocyma Genus GEOMETRIDAE

There are around 16 species in Prasinocyma in Australia
They mainly feed on Eucalyptus species.

Prasinocyma iosticta GEOMETRINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- GEOMETRINAE
Genus:- Prasinocyma
Species:- iosticta






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Prasinocyma rhodocosma GEOMETRINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Common name Northern Emerald.
There is a bit of variation in the wing patterns so I have included a selection of photos.

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- GEOMETRINAE
Genus:- Prasinocyma
Species:- rhodocosma

The underside photos on the right are from the moths to their left.

Another in species (Prasinocyma semicrocea) was included on Wednesday, 12 October 2016


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Taxeotis moths, OENOCHROMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Because there a number of species in the Taxeotis genus that look very similar, it is not possible to be absolutely sure of the identificationa of these moths from photos. However, I have tried to name them correctly but in this case there is a lot of room for error.
Please consider the species names to be possibles rather than absolute.

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Taxeotis intextata OENOCHROMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

 

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- OENOCHROMINAE
Genus:- Taxeotis
Species:- intextata (possibly)



The photo on the right is of a moth that has suffered a fair amount of damage from lost scales. this accounts for some of the difference between them.

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Taxeotis stereospila (possibly) OENOCHROMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

 

 

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- OENOCHROMINAE
Genus:- Taxeotis
Species:- stereospila (possibly)






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Taxeotis perlinearia (possibly) OENOCHROMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

 

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- OENOCHROMINAE
Genus:- Taxeotis
Species:- perlinearia (possibly)





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Pholodes sinistraria  "Sinister moth"

 Pholodes sinistraria BOARMIINI ENNOMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

They are not really "sinister", they are also sometimes called a "frilled bark moth".

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- ENNOMINAE
Genus:- Pholodes
Species:- sinistraria


Above is the female.

 Directly above is the male and to the right is the male underside.

The larvae of these moths is known to eat a variety of native and imported plants. According to Moths of Australia (Common 1990), they will eat garden mint, apple, apricot, citrus and lichi, as well as the native Eucalyptus, Angophora (Myrtacaea) and Exocarpus (Santalaceae).
As you can see in the photos the males and females are different.
Do note the magnificent pectinations on the antennae of the males.

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Phrissogonus laticostata LARENTIINAE GEOMETRIDAE

Although I did a blog on this moth back on the 7th of October 2015, I didn't realise at the time that this species also have distinct male and female forms.
The male is the one with the "tufts" on the leading edge of the forewing.
So here are the male and female together.

Family:- GEOMETRIDAE
Sub Family:- LARENTIINAE
Genus:- Phrissogonus
Species:- laticostata

This is the male.

Left is the female.









Phrissogonus laticostata larvae feeds on the flowers & buds of Acacia (Mimosaceae), but has also been found on Apple, Clematis Aristata and St John's Wort.

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OENOCHROMINAE

 In Moths of Australia, (Common 1990), refering to the family Oenochrominae, it says "there about 250 described species in 48 genera", in Australia.
The moths this week are from the genus Oenochroma.

Oenochroma vinaria OENOCHROMINAE GEOMETRIDAE 

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

 This is a fairly large moth, and as you can see from the photos the colours can vary quite a bit.

The dark purple/red photo is fairly true to colour for some of the darker ones we get.
Larvae feed on Proteaceae, mainly Grevillea and Hakea.




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Oenochroma infatillis OENOCHROMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

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




 Quite a common moth around here. A number of the genus feed on Proteaceae, so perhaps these do too.

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 Oenochroma cycnoptera OENOCHROMINAE GEOMETRIDAE

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








I still have a few doubts about the identification of this moth, mostly because it is out of the range that is quoted for collected samples. It is the only time I have photographed it, although I have seen it a couple of other times.


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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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