Australian Moths and other garden observations (1 Viewer)

[Atropos]

Ectadiosoma straminae (Crambidae, Spilomelinae) - a new species for me and I think the Cape
Grapholita (Tortricidae, Olethreutinae) - cannot find a match for beautiful Tort at the moment
Heteropsyche poecilochroma (Epipyropidae) - the caterpillars of this family are parasites of planthopper species, emerging to pupate outside their host
Lophoruza diversa (Erebidae, Boletobiinae) - only the second individual I have caught

 

[Atropos]

Olene mendosa (Lymantridae) - a beautiful species, always a pleasure to see on the sheet
NAG leucostigma (Erebidae, Boletobiinae) - the exact placement of this species is yet to be determined. I caught it once in the Cairns region a few years back but here it is quite a regular feature on the sheet
Pinara divisa (Lasiocampidae) - strongly sexually dimorphic with the larger female (first of the two photos) a regular visitor to the sheet, I have only caught two males so far

 

[Atropos]

Final three for today
Rhesala ANIC 2 (Erebidae) - another whose exact placement is yet to be determined. This is one of the many known but undescribed species I see hence its species name being "ANIC 2"...I also catch "ANIC 1" at times!
Scioglyptis canescaria (Geometridae, Ennominae) - a new species for me and the Cape
A male Sphodropoda quinquedens aka Rainbow Mantis

 

[Atropos]

Caught my tenth species of Limacodidae for Weipa last night. Prior to moving here I rarely caught members of this family, and when I did it was singles of one of two species. Here I am catching multiple species and multiple individuals on some nights. Last night I caught Mecytha dnophera, a new species for me and I think the Cape - in fact I can only find a couple of other recent records.
Other species of interest included Glyphodes apiospila (Crambidae, Spilomelinae) one of the less common members of this genus; I also caught two Ophodiphthera eucalypti (Saturniidae). My species list for Weipa is rapidly approaching 500 which for three months of the Dry season is quite good, really looking forward to the rains starting...hopefully next month if not sooner!

 

[Andy Adcock]

Caught my tenth species of Limacodidae for Weipa last night. Prior to moving here I rarely caught members of this family, and when I did it was singles of one of two species. Here I am catching multiple species and multiple individuals on some nights. Last night I caught Mecytha dnophera, a new species for me and I think the Cape - in fact I can only find a couple of other recent records.
Other species of interest included Glyphodes apiospila (Crambidae, Spilomelinae) one of the less common members of this genus; I also caught two Ophodiphthera eucalypti (Saturniidae). My species list for Weipa is rapidly approaching 500 which for three months of the Dry season is quite good, really looking forward to the rains starting...hopefully next month if not sooner!

This makes my urban patch look a bit thin, hoping I can get some stuff worthy of posting when we get to Cyprus.

This is a wonderful thread, would be great to get other members from around the World to start similar ones, showcasing their own species..

 

[Atropos]

This makes my urban patch look a bit thin, hoping I can get some stuff worthy of posting when we get to Cyprus.

This is a wonderful thread, would be great to get other members from around the World to start similar ones, showcasing their own species..

Thanks Andy, love to read about others patches. The monthly UK threads are great and bring bback so many memories. Am sure Cyprus will be interesting, you must start a thread for the trip. How long are going for?

 

[Andy Adcock]

Thanks Andy, love to read about others patches. The monthly UK threads are great and bring bback so many memories. Am sure Cyprus will be interesting, you must start a thread for the trip. How long are going for?

Unless my wife gets the sack, we're there for good.

 

[Atropos]

Unless my wife gets the sack, we're there for good.

Excellent, that's how we end up in Aus. My wife got a job here and now we are citizens with no intention of moving back to UK. The chance for southern migrants must be high. Please do start a Cyprus thread

 

[Atropos]

I have been away on the Iron Range for a few days so no mothing but I did find this slightly worn Erebus crepuscularis and this less than helpful Alcides metaurus. The whole area is amazing and I am in the process of trying to sourt permits to allow me to trap there next year...

 

[Atropos]

Full moon and cloudless skies makes trapping pointless at the moment in the garden but here are a few from earlier thismonth that I have got around to editing...plenty more yet to process and ID...
Crocidolomia pavonana (Crambidae, Glaphyriinae) my second here this year, a major pest on Cabbage crops
Eublemma dispar (Erebidae, Boletobiinae) - not completely sure where this sits as some references still have it as Autoba but others state that all Australian Autoba been transfered to Eublemma...
Radinocera vagata (Noctuidae, Argistinae) - only the second time I have caught this species with my only other record being from TI earlier this year
Hierodula werni - only the second record for Queensland of this large mantid, the first was from June this year slightly further south on the Cape

 

[Atropos]

We had the first heavy rain of the season over the weekend which unfortunately blew the power so was unable to trap, it has been clear and bright since then until last night so I was able to put the trap out. The rain has had a great impact with over 70 species on the sheet.
Agrius convolvuli (Sphingidae) - one of two species last night and my first convolvuli for quite some time
Anigraea ochrobasis (Eutilidae, Eutilinae) - was pleased to get a photo of this without its wings completely rolled up into tubes which is its normal resting position!
Circopetes obtusata (Geometridae, Oenochrominae) - an occasional visitor to my sheet, always nice to see fresh individuals
Creatonotos gangis (Erebidae, Arctiinae) - a nice fresh pink specimen, looks to be recently emerged as the colour fades quite quickly
Diasemia accalis (Crambidae, Spilomelinae) - first I have seen for several years and from the look of it the first record for the Cape north of Cairns.

 

[Atropos]

Second part from last night
Dichromodes mesotoma (Geometridae. Oenochrominae) - another very fresh individual
Eublemma silicula (Erebidae, Boletobiinae) - a regular on the sheet but not always in this condition!
Thallasodes dorsilinea (Geometridae, Geometrinae) - a nice individual clearly showing the dots on the end of the veins in the wings (most noticeable in the hindwing), these dots are the key feature for the very similar Pelagodes.
Tonica effractella (Depressaridae) - not caught one for a couple of weeks so nice to see it on the sheet

 

[aeshna5]

I didn't realise Convolvulus Hawkmoths had such a wide distribution. Some of the others are pretty smart too.

 

[Andy Adcock]

We had the first heavy rain of the season over the weekend which unfortunately blew the power so was unable to trap, it has been clear and bright since then until last night so I was able to put the trap out. The rain has had a great impact with over 70 species on the sheet.
Agrius convolvuli (Sphingidae) - one of two species last night and my first convolvuli for quite some time
Anigraea ochrobasis (Eutilidae, Eutilinae) - was pleased to get a photo of this without its wings completely rolled up into tubes which is its normal resting position!
Circopetes obtusata (Geometridae, Oenochrominae) - an occasional visitor to my sheet, always nice to see fresh individuals
Creatonotos gangis (Erebidae, Arctiinae) - a nice fresh pink specimen, looks to be recently emerged as the colour fades quite quickly
Diasemia accalis (Crambidae, Spilomelinae) - first I have seen for several years and from the look of it the first record for the Cape north of Cairns.

I had this in Laos, you can see that I labelled it 'sp', is it the same species?

 

[Andy Adcock]

I didn't realise Convolvulus Hawkmoths had such a wide distribution. Some of the others are pretty smart too.

I had that in Laos too.

 

[Atropos]

I had this in Laos, you can see that I labelled it 'sp', is it the same species?

As far as I know gangis is currently the only likely species in Laos, other than Creatonotos transiens which looks very different.

 

[Atropos]

I had that in Laos too.

I didn't realise Convolvulus Hawkmoths had such a wide distribution. Some of the others are pretty smart too.

I think convolvuli occurs almost everywhere outside of the America's where it is replaced with a similar but different Agrius

 

[Atropos]

Getting between 50 and 70 species a night now in the garden when conditions are suitable, and although still dominated by micro moths there is a noticeable increase in macro's. Here are a few from the last couple of nights - although at the moment there are many yet to be identified. I am heading out into the Bush tonight with the genny ( first time since it has been repaired) so hopefully will be productive.
Destolmia lineata (Notodontidae, Notodontinae) - a highly variable species that is quite regular on the sheet
IMG 2789 (Crambidae) - the consensus of opinion on this is that it is probably a Spilomelinae but no-one knows for certain so I have sent the images off to one of the global experts in the group to see what he says.
Paradestolmia nigrolineata (Notodontidae, Notodontinae) - a regular feature on my sheet in TI but this is only the second time I have caught this in Weipa
Savoca iophota (Eutelidae, Stictopterinae) - a new species for me and as far as I can tell the first recent record of this species, and certainly the first photo of a live specimen. I can find records from 1905 from the Cairns region but nothing more recent

 

[Andy Adcock]

Hope you don't mind Atropos, as we've seen some crossover with what you catch, if I put a few shots up for you to look at here and maybe suggest an ID for any of them? These are all from Laos and in all cases, I only ever managed 'sp' which may even be wrong.

 

[Atropos]

No problem Andy not sure how much help I will be...
Abraxas sp indeed can only get to exact species with dissection;
the Calliteara is I think part of the horsfeldi complex - horsfeldi is a so called morpho species which i know occurs in Thailand and so I suspect does in Laos another dissection job to be certain;
I would think yours is Heortia vitessoides which occurs in Aus / Thailand and several places in between;
the Macrobrochis is a Barsine species - Lithosiini are a nightmare and under review in many countries. I am not sure which species occur in the region and I suspect dissection would be needed to confirm
Ophiusa looks like part of the tirhaca complex - tirhaca is globally widespread from Europe across to Australia and yours may well be tirhaca but again I think it is thought that it is a morpho species - BOLD lists it as having 3 BINs numbers which implies that it is not a single species
Trabala another dissection job