The jury is still out on the correct identification of this particular moth. Thanks to the helpful staff at the Museum of Victoria, I am now on a mission to locate another one and this time, I'll check the colour of the hindwing - provided I can make a distinction between yellow and red!
Today, however, I bought the Hawk Moth a present of 2 more Coprosmas. It may have already bred this season but it will have three Coprosma plants to choose from next breeding season.
I also intend to patrol the grapevines growing close by prior to any further spraying and should I find any caterpillars, I will save a few.
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27th February, 2008
Stand by! This junior lepidopterist may well have made an error with her identification of this particular Hawk Moth.
It's quite possible this is Hippotion scrofa not G. eras!
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Indeed, a very nice moth!
I have one larval host food plant so hopefully, I will see this moth reproduce. There are grapevines close by as well.
(Thanks again to Don Herbison-Evans who helps to make my Lepidoptera learning journey worthwhile.)
As Don indicated in reply to my query, we may see species in areas previously unknown, due to climate change.
