Mossman Moths (FNQ, Aus) 2016 (1 Viewer)

Dom F · Aug 29, 2016

My apologies for the total lack of posts just recently but I have been rather busy so I thought I would start a sole thread for the rest of the year and in future probably just stick to one thread a year...
To start this one off thought I would just give a few stats for 2016 and in particular from June on wards when we moved to our current house.
To date in 2016 (with NO data for period 28th March to 28th May) have ID'd 723 to either species or genus level
In the three months since moving to current house have recorded 524 species.
In addition I have over 30000 un identified photos to work through.

We are just starting to come out of winter here, although last night was very cold with temperatures dropping below 16oC which in the Tropics is freezing! On warm nights the sheet is starting to get busy with over 60 spp a night - Sphingidae have been particularly impressive with 19 species this month alone and 22 species in total for the garden - not bad for winter!
One of the highlights of the last few weeks has been the number of the Saturniidae Coscinocera hercules - this is a male from earlier in August.
I will try and post more regularly from now on but am in danger of getting swamped with moths when the season starts properly in the next few weeks!

Dom F · Aug 31, 2016

Sphingidae featured strongly the last two nights with the undoubted highlights being Ambulyx dohertyi (another male - have only caught three females in 18 months); all three species of Daphnis (from left to right moorei, placida & protrudens); Gnathothlibus eras; the two similar Hippotion species (boerhaviae on left & rosetta on right); Nephele subvaria (left) and Hippotion brennus.

Dom F · Aug 31, 2016

Sphingidae have not been the only species of interest though. Among the others of note included both extremes of Cotana serranotata (Eupterotidae; Eupterotinae) caught on the same night; three species of Grammodes (cooma, oculicola & quaesita); an as yet unknown Crambid that I think is an Hydrorybina; the very interestingly shaped Terestia subjectalis and Traminda mundissima - a species with a very broad range of habitats ranging from the predominantly dry regions of Oman & UAE all the way to the rainforests of FNQ!

Dom F · Sep 3, 2016

Caught this plume moth a couple of days ago and have just had its identity confirmed by Donald Hobern as Cosmoclostis pesseuta the fourth known record of this species in Australia. There are currently two accepted species in this genus: C. aglaodesma and C. hemiadelpha. Like this moth, these both also have boldly patterned abdomens and legs but very different forewing patterns.

Dom F · Sep 4, 2016

Caught this Psilogramma last night, whilst I am waiting confirmation from a friend who is the expert in Australian Hawkmoths I have used the key he is letting me trial prior to its publication in his forth coming book and this appears to key out as Psilogramma exigua a species that is more common in the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia.
If my ID is correct this would be the 41st species of Australian Sphingidae I have caught and the 23rd for my current garden (not too bad for the first three months!)

Dom F · Sep 6, 2016

Hulodes caranea was quite a scarce visitor to the trap in Yorkeys but here in Shannonvale it seems to be a regular visitor with individuals seen on three nights last week. It was alsoi nice to see a fresh Pindara serratilinea, never a regular visitor in Yorkeys and those that I did see were rather battered.
Whenever I see a small predominantly brown or grey moth that I don't recognise I usually start looking in Nolidae as they invariably seems to belong to that family so it is always nice to find a more attractive member of the family - this time in the form of Lasiolopha saturata, my first for several weeks.
A new species for me this week has been Comostola leucomerata (Geometrinae). Another species that I encounter only rarely is Chiasmia tessellata - this was my first for 2016 and only the second I have caught

Dom F · Sep 7, 2016

Have just put the final couple of days data for August on to my database and so far with 1417 photos still left to ID have caught 321 spp last month. Not bad for mid winter!

Dom F · Sep 10, 2016

Summer is definitely on its way here with the day time temperatures starting to increase reaching high 20s or low 30s but the nights are still quite cool which combined with clear skies and a waxing moon is meaning that numbers of both individuals and spp remain relatively low but diversity remains suprisingly high with new / different species arriving each night.
One I was particularly pleased to catch was this Theretra nessus, I have only seen a couple of battered individuals over the last 18 months so was great to see a decent looking one.
I have not caught any of the large Anthelids for a few weeks until this Anthela varia appeared a couple of nights ago. Geometrinae as a family are one of the commonest groups I am seeing at the moment - these are two of the regular species and both are ones that never occurred at Yorkeys Maxates orthodesma and Pingasa angulifera.

Dom F · Sep 10, 2016

There continues to be a steady trickle of new species for both the garden and myself including
Somatina rufifascia (Sterrhinae); Termioptycha eucarta (Epipaschiinae) and Zonoplusia ochreata (Plusiinae). The most interesting though was a male Trichiocercus sparshalli which whilst not the most interesting to look at has a fascinating history in that it was first discovered in Norfolk in 1829 and this remains the sole record of this Australian species and genus outside of Australia as far as I can tell - I suspect that it did not get there under its own steam....

honeym · Sep 10, 2016

Dom F said:
The most interesting though was a male Trichiocercus sparshalli which whilst not the most interesting to look at has a fascinating history in that it was first discovered in Norfolk in 1829 and this remains the sole record of this Australian species and genus outside of Australia as far as I can tell - I suspect that it did not get there under its own steam....

The other interesting thing is that the type specimen (alledged to be from Norfolk) should now be back in Australia, via the Curtis collection, which should be in the Mjuseum Victoria (https://museumvictoria.com.au/history/insects2.html)
Martin

Dom F · Sep 11, 2016

honeym said:
The other interesting thing is that the type specimen (alledged to be from Norfolk) should now be back in Australia, via the Curtis collection, which should be in the Mjuseum Victoria (https://museumvictoria.com.au/history/insects2.html)
Martin

Thanks for this Martin, fascinating read!

Dom F · Sep 18, 2016

We have a reasonable wildlife pond in the garden which does mean that Crambidae, Acentropinae are a regular feature on the moth sheet. I find them a very challenging group so here are a few whose IDs I think I have got correct:
Theila siennata and Theila triplaga: up until last week siennata has been the commonest Acentropinae appearing in numbers most nights but the last week or so it has only appeared a couple of times; triplaga is a scarce visitor to my sheet appearing every few weeks.

Ambia eromenalis and Margarosticha sphenotis: eromenalis is an occasional visitor appearing weekly and sphenotis is an almost daily visitor to the sheet
Parapoynx crisonalis and Parapoynx diminutalis: both regular visitors to the sheet
Parapoynx tenebralis and Tetrernia teminitis: tenebralis is a scarce visitor to the sheet with only three records in the garden so far but teminitis is a regular feature

Dom F · Sep 19, 2016

Last night started so promisingly p overcast, warm and humid with a hint of rain. The moths responded and within five minutes of the trap going on I had caught my fourth ever female Ambulyx dohertyi and a single Daphnis placida...unfortunatey 35 minute later the skies had cleared and the moon was out....although it did cloud over again at 0600...curse you weather gremlins!
Very little else of note in the trap other than a single reasonably fresh Zeuzera aeglospila (Cossidae) which was nice to see as the last couple have been very battered individuals

Dom F · Sep 20, 2016

The season keeps threatening to take off but the weather intervenes....highlights from last night included only the third Meganoton rufescens that I have seen and a nice fresh Acosmeryx anceus. At the opposite end of the scale caught this Gelechiidae that I think is an Anarsia spp but beyond that I have no idea.

Dom F · Sep 21, 2016

Dom F said:
Caught this Psilogramma last night, whilst I am waiting confirmation from a friend who is the expert in Australian Hawkmoths I have used the key he is letting me trial prior to its publication in his forth coming book and this appears to key out as Psilogramma exigua a species that is more common in the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia.
If my ID is correct this would be the 41st species of Australian Sphingidae I have caught and the 23rd for my current garden (not too bad for the first three months!)

I was not right, this is in fact a pale Psilogramma menephron, and I have caught another two similar ones since then

Dom F · Sep 21, 2016

The nights are warming up and when the moon is covered there is noticably more activity at the trap - last night 55spp with possibly another 18 spp yet to be identified.
Highlights included what I think is Endoxyla cinereus (Cossidae) - a new species for me and only the second of the large Australian Cossids that I have seen; Theretra indistincta (Sphingidae) - in Yorkeys this was quite a scarce visitor to the sheet where as here it seems to appear almost weekly at the moment; Eudocima jordani (Calpinae) - the first Eudocima for a few weeks and one of the less frequently encountered species in the garden; Agathiopsis basipuncta (Geometrinae) - a beautiful species that I had not recorded prior to moving here, it seems to be a regular visitor to the sheet; Habroscopa iriodes (Oecophorinae) - another new species for me but frustratingly it was flushed by a black fly before I could manage any decent photos!

Dom F · Sep 22, 2016

The conditions were nearly perfect last night - overcast, humid with occasional light rain and no wind. Being early in the season the sheets were not over crowded but it was still a very impressive night with 85+ species (am still working through the last remaining images). Sphingidae are starting to be quite prominent and last night there were 37 individuals of 11 species! The most common being eight Acosmeryx anceus; but highlights included my second female Ambulyx dohertyi of the week, another Theretra indistincta, four Agrius convolvuli including this nicely marked individual

Dom F · Sep 22, 2016

It wasn't all about the Sphingids though and there were plenty of other things of note to try and identify...
Amata marella (Erebidae; Arctiinae) - a new species for me
Athetis reclusa (Noctuidae; Noctuinae) - there has been an emergence of this species recently as having had no records prior to this week I am now catching 2-3 a night
Cirrhochrista caconalis (Crambidae, Spilomelinae) - my favourite member of this attractive genus and one that I record very infrequently so I was very happy to see two last night
Epiplema coeruleotincta (Uraniidae; Epipleminae) - an occasional visitor usually to the highest point of the sheets so was nice to be able to get a decent photo of one!
Lacalma albirufalis (Pyralidae; Epipaschiinae) - the more infrequent of the two Lacalma species I catch, have only seen a handful of these

The weather is looking excellent for tonight as well .......

Dom F · Oct 1, 2016

Well September finished in style with a final tally of 321 species identified to date and another 1000 photos still to work though! The garden list from 28th May when we moved in to the new house currently stands at 608 species with just under 6000 photos still to work on!
Sphingidae continue to feature strongly with peaks of 35 individuals of 12 species in a night - as the Wet progresses I am expecting this to be exceeded, last year on one memorable night I caught 120+ Hyles livornicoides...
Eupanacra splendens - caught two singles in September
Hippotion brennus - recorded on four dates in September with a peak of two
Hippotion celerio - prior to the last week of September I had only caught two individuals of this species in 18 months, in the last five nights I have caught ten with a peak of four on one night
Hippotion velox just a single of this species early in the month

Dom F · Oct 1, 2016

Geometrinae also feature strongly at the end of the month.
The collage of four consists of Agathia pisina (top left); Agathia prasinaspis (top right); Anisozyga fascinans (bottom left) and Anisozyga goniota (bottom right)
Comostola cedilla - one of a couple of very similar species and an occasional visitor to the trap, this was the sole September record.
Metallochlora venusta is a very scarce species with me, this is only the second individual that I have seen.
Oenochroma phyllomorpha - (Geometridae, Oenochrominae) - the first of the Wet caught late September
The last pair are two similarish looking but unrelated species - Tropidtamba lepraota on left (Erebidae; Catocalinae) and Episparis angulatilinea on right (Erebidae; Pangraptinae).

Mossman Moths (FNQ, Aus) 2016 (1 Viewer)

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