August in Aus (1 Viewer)

Dom F · Aug 3, 2015

New month so a new thread. Last night conditions were slightly more favourable - a waning moon, scattered clouds and no wind - so the light went on. By the time I switched the light off around midnight there were approx 50 individuals of probably 25-30 species (takes weeks / months to ID everything - currently still working on stuff from 2013!) and any night when you get both species of Uliocnemis can't be bad!
Uliocnemis tile - A.biplagiata (left) A.partita (right)
Sarisophora tenella (Lecithoceridae - Tropical Longhorn Moths)
Labdia sp near ANIC2 on BOLD (Cosmopterigidae)

Dom F · Aug 3, 2015

Last night was much cooler and so there was far less activity around the light. We are starting to come out of winter here and I am starting to see some fresh individuals of some of the commoner species including this spectacular Spodoptera litura.
A friend has ID'd one of yesterdays unknowns as a Chorsia (Erebidae) a family I have never heard of and one for which there seems to be little information on-line for Australia although there are several species described and illustrated in The Moths of Borneo.
Spodoptera litura (Amphipyrinae)
Chorsia spp (Erebidae)

Dom F · Aug 5, 2015

Another cold night with temperatures dropping to 15oC last night, moth activity reflected this and I turned the light off after about 3 hours with fewer than 30 individuals around. That said there is nearly always something of interest and last night was no exception with a new family for me in the form of Dappula tertius (Psychidae) as well as a couple of new micro's (a large Tineidae approx 15mm body length and a Tortricidae).
Dappula tertius x2
Hamodes propitia
Tineidae spp
Tortricidae spp

Dom F · Aug 7, 2015

The last couple of nights have been rather cold here with temperatures last night dropping to 10oC so activity has been slower. Among those hanging around the light was a moth that reminds me of Birds Wing moth I used to catch in the UK - not managed to find an ID for it yet...
Unknown Noctuid
Callopistria maillardi (Amphipyrinae)
Careades plana (Chloephorinae)
Homodes crocea (Catocalinae)

Dom F · Aug 11, 2015

The nights have stayed quite cool just recently, and windy, although last night was slightly better so the trap did go on. Here are a few of my regular visitors plus one currently unknown
Unknown Geo / Erebidae - have caught this twice now but no closer to getting an ID
Chalcocelis albiguttatis male (Limacodidae)
Orgyia australis (Lymantriidae)
Dichocrocis erixantha (Pyraustinae)
Metoeca foedalis (Pyraustinae)

Dom F · Aug 14, 2015

The last couple of nights have been cold again, with temps dropping to 13oC. This has slowed down activity at the light but there are still a fair few individuals coming in during the early part of the night. There seems to be more micro moth activity here during the winter months than during the summer but I am not sure whether this is real or perceived - during the summer there are just so many macros whizzing around that I may just not be noticing the micros so I will have to pay greater attention this year.
Here are four Oecophoridae from a couple of nights ago. They are all Olbonoma species, the first two are probably O.leptospila and the second two O.disticta but there are at least 19 un-named species currently illustrated on BOLD that it is likely that the IDs may change / be wrong!

Dom F · Aug 14, 2015

There are still some nice macros (and one micro) around as well. Here are a selection from the last couple of days
Agrius convolvuli - battered but easy to see the diagnostic pink so still no A.godartii!
Bulonga distans (Ennominae) - one of my favourite Geos
Agrotera amathealis (Pyraustinae)
Nadagera xylotrema (Ennominae)
Pangrapta spANIC1 (Catocalinae)

smokenack · Aug 14, 2015

Some lovely moths as usual Dom. Have you thought of offering mothing holidays? Do such things exist?

Dom F · Aug 15, 2015

smokenack said:
Some lovely moths as usual Dom. Have you thought of offering mothing holidays? Do such things exist?

I did wonder about doing this so I started to look into various aspects and it would be very complicated to say the least. I have looked in to trapping within National Parks / State Forests and as an individual who ONLY takes photographs I can apply and get a licence that allows me to do this as long as I do not use a generator (currently I only have MV bulbs that run off a small genny) I could and probably will purchase a black light set up at some time that runs off a battery / power inverter in the car which will then allow me to trap in some interesting places. However changing that to allow me to do it in some form of commercial sense is exceedingly tricky and getting any form of licence to catch and kill within NP virtually if not completely impossible - and exporting Aus wildlife requires different set of permits - I am semi regularly asked via another forum I belong to if I could send Sphingid / Saturnid specimens overseas which I cannot do. All in all a complex minefield!

Dom F · Aug 16, 2015

The days are starting to warm up which is having a knock on effect on moth activity. There is in general more activity and many more fresh / recently emerged individuals. Several relatively common species that I have not seen for a couple of months have reappeared, as well as a few new ones and the usual selection of currently unknown species.
Agrius convolvuli - a nice fresh individual, for the last few weeks have only seen worn specimens
Theretra silhetensis - not seen this small sphingid since late March
Heterallactis stenochrysa (Lithosiinae) not seen these since early June
Phazac interrupta (Uraniidae) new for me and the garden
Eucyclodes goniota (Geometrinae) new for me and the garden

Dom F · Aug 19, 2015

A quick correction to my previous post - it should have read Phazaca interrupta not Phazac, also have been told that there are several as yet undescribed species of Phazaca from Qld so the ID may change.
With spring starting I am trying to have the trap on for a few hours each night. In addition to the moths it does give me the excuse to check the garden for other wildlife.
Rhinoceros Beetle - they hiss very loudly and my mothing companion a miniature Dachshund is not a fan!
A mantispid - a lacewing that mimics preying mantis
Mole-cricket spp - there are several that occur here
White-lipped Tree Frog - regularly sits beside the trap....
Striped Possum

Dom F · Aug 19, 2015

and now a few moths from the last couple of days
Anomis lyona (Catocalinae)
Hamodes propitia (Catocalinae) - a very heavily marked individual, see my 5th August post for a photo of the more normal form
Pericyma cruegeri (Catocalinae)
Trigonodes hyppasia (Catocalinae)

Dom F · Aug 24, 2015

Last night was warmer, overcast and calm with the occasional bit of drizzle...good trapping weather here in the Tropics. The results were, if I am honest, slightly disappointing but it is still the end of winter here so I should not get my hopes up too high! None the less there were still some very nice moths at the light including
Theretra latreilli (Sphingid) - I dislike these brown Theretra as they are all so similar but I at least when fresh the keys features are easier to see - calling this latreilli based on the solid black line on the trailing edge of the wings, the annoyingly similar tryoni has a broken black line, later in the season they just become Theretra spp!
Zeheba spectabilis (Ennominae)
Nagia linteola (Catocalinae)
Dasychiroides species (Lymantriidae) - there are very few named species in the literature for Australia
Asura monospila (Lithosiinae)

Dom F · Aug 24, 2015

and a few more from the last couple of nights:
Autoba sphragidota (Acontiinae) I think this is correct but there seem to be no published photos of this species and so ID based on plate in Hampsons drawn circa 1905.
Enispa rhodopleura (Acontiinae)
Eublemma inconspicua (Acontiinae)
Labdia species labelled as ANIC1 on BOLD (Cosmopteriginae) - I think this is my favourite Cosmop, was the first moth I found in my new house.
Idaea / Scopula species (Sterrhinae) - not confident which genus this belongs to , leaning towards Scopula as was largish with wing span of 20-30mm but either way very strikingly patterned

Dom F · Aug 27, 2015

The last couple of nights have been clear, moonlit and breezy so have not bothered trapping - it is still winter here so cant expect good conditions every night! This has meant that when I have had the time I have been able to work on some of my back log of unidents from this month, so here are five from earlier that I have now got tentative IDs for:
Athetis maculatra (Amphipyrinae) - have seen this a few times since mid July so pleased to ID this one
Cenoloba obliteralis (Tineodidae) - one of the so called False-Plume Moths.
Crocanthes prasinopis (Lecithoceridae)
Doloessa viridis (Pryalidae)
Erechthias simulans (Erechthiinae)

honeym · Aug 27, 2015

Dom F said:
and a few more from the last couple of nights:
Autoba sphragidota (Acontiinae) I think this is correct but there seem to be no published photos of this species and so ID based on plate in Hampsons drawn circa 1905.

Hi Dom
Crude as they are, the Hampson drawings, which were usually painted from the type specimens, in this case one of Turner's, are pretty accurate. It's very different to your specimen but I think you are probably in the right area. If I get chance, I'll have a look to see if we have any material of sphragidota and get back to you.
Best wishes
Martin

honeym · Aug 27, 2015

Hi
There's a specimen matching yours under the name 'Autoba' here:
http://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Taxbrowser_Taxonpage?taxid=409809
Martin

Dom F · Aug 27, 2015

honeym said:
Hi
There's a specimen matching yours under the name 'Autoba' here:
http://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Taxbrowser_Taxonpage?taxid=409809
Martin

Hi Martin
Thanks for this, had forgotten that photo. Umm will re label as Autoba spp I think and see if that one ever gets described - have a couple of presumed Autoba that don't match anything at all!. The Autoba seem to be so variable - I get seven species regularly in the garden and very few of them look the same! Mothing over here certainly a different challenge to my days on the Sussex coast!
Thanks
Dom

honeym · Sep 1, 2015

Hi Dom
I've been through the collection here and have found nothing resembling your specimen. Going back to sphragidota we have the original of the painting you've seen and it depicts a very small specimen. I doubt if it actually belongs in Autoba.
Perhaps your specimen is near some of the New Guinea taxa, such as fulvipennis Warren?
Best wishes
Martin

Dom F · Sep 1, 2015

honeym said:
Hi Dom
I've been through the collection here and have found nothing resembling your specimen. Going back to sphragidota we have the original of the painting you've seen and it depicts a very small specimen. I doubt if it actually belongs in Autoba.
Perhaps your specimen is near some of the New Guinea taxa, such as fulvipennis Warren?
Best wishes
Martin

Hi Martin
Many thanks for all the effort you have put in to this - I will continue to research this one, one of hundreds of currently unknown photos that I have. One of the undoubted frustrations being based here is that there is no reference collection that I can get easy access to which given the scarcity of on line resources makes it hard work. I think the best Aus ID site has only got 3700 species on it - out of between 20-30000 potential spp depending upon the source you look at. Resources like this forum and the FB group Moths and Mothwatching are exceedingly helpful.
best wishes
Dom

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