Moth ID from Sinharaja, Sri Lanka (1 Viewer)

Andy Hurley

Gotta love nature!

Opus Editor

Supporter

• May 22, 2019

• #1

Please ID this moth from the cloud forest at Sinharaja, Sri Lanka, 09 December 2018.
Even the family would be useful, as that would remove hours of searching.

Thanks very much,

 

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Andy Adcock

Worst person on Birdforum

• May 22, 2019

• #2

Try the Nyctemera or Asota Andy.

 

Last edited: May 22, 2019

Andy Hurley

Gotta love nature!

Opus Editor

Supporter

• May 22, 2019

• #3

Thats a great help, cheers Andy

 

Andy Adcock

Worst person on Birdforum

• May 22, 2019

• #4

I actually found a picture of it on an advert for a lodge but it wasn't named.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Hotel/Sinharaja-green-homestay-269837427059565/

 

honeym

Well-known member

• May 22, 2019

• #5

andyadcock said:

Try the Nyctemera or Asota Andy.

Click to expand...

It's neither.

It belongs in the Zygaenidae, subfamily Chalcosiinae, possibly in the genus Eterusia.

Martin

 

Andy Adcock

Worst person on Birdforum

• May 22, 2019

• #6

I found it , Eterusia aedea well done Martin.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Ete...76_iAhU9WhUIHXnYCCwQ_AUIDygC&biw=1366&bih=613

 

Last edited: May 22, 2019

honeym

Well-known member

• May 23, 2019

• #7

They are a notoriously difficult group. I personally wouldn't attempt a species det on just a photo (as can be seen from the differences between the above photo and the ones on Andy 's link - especially the basal are of the forewing).
I know a specialist in this group so I'll see what he has to say.
Martin

 

Andy Hurley

Gotta love nature!

Opus Editor

Supporter

• May 23, 2019

• #8

Thanks very much both of you. Martin, I look forward to your friend's experienced opinion. It was is the high mid hills at The Rainforest Ecolodge, Sinharaja, Sri Lanka on the 9th Dec last year. It is part of the cloud forest. A small cut into the forest, even as small as this, prevents the cloud descending and changes the whole ecology of the lodge, in terms of precipitation. (Obviously, the removal of even a small part of a given habitat has negative effects.) Even the most ecofriendly places affect the ecology of an ecosystem. Perhaps a necessary evil in the protection of such habitat. The surrounding forest becomes protected, due to eco-tourism, rather than cleared for another plantation.

 

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Last edited: May 23, 2019

Andy Adcock

Worst person on Birdforum

• May 23, 2019

• #9

honeym said:

They are a notoriously difficult group. I personally wouldn't attempt a species det on just a photo (as can be seen from the differences between the above photo and the ones on Andy 's link - especially the basal are of the forewing).
I know a specialist in this group so I'll see what he has to say.
Martin

Click to expand...

Yes, sorry, hadn't looked closely enough.

Some stunning moths in this group, this is Eterusia repleta

https://i.pinimg.com/236x/af/ea/84/...fb1--beautiful-bugs-beautiful-butterflies.jpg

Edit: aedea, is the only Eterusia on the sri Lankan list if this can be trusted?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_moths_of_Sri_Lanka#Zygaenidae_-_burnet_and_forester_moths

 

Last edited: May 23, 2019

honeym

Well-known member

• May 23, 2019

• #10

I've heard back from my colleague.

This is Eterusia aedea cingala, a subspecies endemic to Sri Lanka.

Martin

 

Last edited: May 23, 2019

Andy Hurley

Gotta love nature!

Opus Editor

Supporter

• May 24, 2019

• #11

Thanks very much both of you, again