A Big HELLO.......

........from Vic. to Tas. :-)

Couldn't have Mosura's Ladybird getting lonely!

This one was trundling around on my wall the other day. I actually moved it to my standard roses where it could perform its little functions in a familiar environment!

Don't you just love 'em!

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Order: COLEOPTERA
Coccinella transversalis

November Mothing - Page 1

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No. 1 Phalaenoides glycinae (the Vine Moth)
ORDER: NOCTUIDAE



No. 2. Pretty sure this is Agrotis infusa (the Bogong) - in my haystack! :-)
ORDER: Noctuidae




No. 3 is a better shot of Monopsis ethelella
ORDER: Tineididae

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The 'I don't knows' :-)
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No.4. 1cm length
UPDATE: I've been going through the Leaf Rollers and Bell Moths (Tortricidae) trying to identify a moth I photographed last night (11/11)
I wonder if Moth 4 is a Tortricid?




No. 5 (Possibly another Noctuid)
Length - 2.5cm
UPDATE: Having gone through the slim information available on the Net, as a result of a tipoff from Mosura, I think this moth is probably Agrotis porphyricollis
NOCTUIDAE : Noctuinae



No. 6. Just over 1cm in length
Is this one a Tortricid as well?




No. 7 - 2.5cm in length

UPDATE: Thanks to info from Mosura - this moth could be Leucana stenographa
NOCTUIDAE : Hadeninae

Last Of The October Moths

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More than likely Philobota sp.
Oecophoridae : Oecophorinae


No idea! :-)
It was a small moth, however. Probably less than 1cm in length.

Capers In Town

Not many, but more than last year!

I saw my first Caper White for the season on the 27th October.

Last Thursday, I saw 3 or 4 busy feeding on a Hebe (Wiri Mist)

These butterflies are migratory, temporary visitors to Victoria and other southern states. They seldom breed outside their normal breeding range unless they find suitable host sources.

Main larval host plant is Capparis sp.

Belenois java
PIERIDAE : Pierinae

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Lacewings (and Friend!)

Here are some insects coming to the light during my mothing adventures.

Order: NEUROPTERA

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I think this is an Owlfly. If it's not an Owlfly, then it has to be an Antlion! :-)
It was 3.5cm in length.

UPDATE: This is an Antlion. Thanks to 'outside help'. I appreciate the correction.

ORDER: Neuroptera
Family: Myrmeleontidae

I think this is one of our native cockroaches.

Order: BLABERIDAE

October Mothing 3

Last night was reasonably active with conducive weather conditions - and I stayed up late! :-)

The majority of moths were small - around 1cm to 2cm in resting position. Some appearing here are duplications, but I will record the sightings anyway.

I have some homework to do (read 'assistance required') and will update as identifications are confirmed.

My little pal was back! This is a better photo of Wheeleria spilodactylus.
Pterophoridae.

(Click images to enlarge)


I'm not sure about Moth No. 2.
It might be a Gelechiid.
Ardozyga chionoprora is known to be in Western Victoria.

UPDATE: Philobota agnesella.

Oecophoridae : Oecophorinae

I suspect Moth No. 3 might be Idaea sp - possibly I. eretmopus.
Geometridae : Sterrhinae



Moth No. 4 I think may be a Crambid. This family has apparently been moved from the Pyralids!

Maybe Schoenobiinae sp?
Tipanaea patulella perhaps?
Crambidae : Schoenobiinae



I have no idea what Moth No. 5 is!
It was quite small. Less than a cm.

UPDATE No. 2: This is Monopis ethelella
TINEIDAE


Moth No. 6 has been photographed by others recently, I think.
I'll see if I can determine species.
This was the largest of the moths I saw last night.
It was on the ceiling in my laundry!

UPDATE: This moth is possibly Persectania sp.

Might be P. dyscrita (Inland Armyworm)

NOCTUIDAE : Hadeninae

UPDATE 2: Persectania ewingii.

Apparently on the wing of P ewingii there is a pale line in the shape of a dagger with a short "handle" across the centre

October Mothing - 2

What a surprise last night! This moth came to the porch light.
I nearly missed it altogether. It was so white, it virtually disappeared into its surroundings. The photo is not particularly good because it was shot white on white and also the moth was a bit fidgety.

I think it's a Plume Moth but exactly which one of the order Pterophoridae it is remains unknown.

It measured about 2.4cm wingtip to wingtip.

UPDATE: A bit of research has been undertaken and it's possible this Plume Moth is Wheeleria spilodactylus which was introduced from Europe to control the weed Horehound.

(Click images to enlarge)


Not sure about this one. It might be Hednota sp. It was about 1.5cm in resting position.
Crambidae : Crambinae


I'm off to check moth No. 3.
Wingtip to wingtip, it measured around 2cm.
Another Geometrid perhaps.



UPDATE: It's possible this moth is a variation of Scopula perlata.
Geometridae : Sterrhinae

So far this season, I have photographed two similar yet different forms of the moth pictured above. I will put them all together on their own page shortly.

Tobacco Looper

NOCTUIDAE
Plusiinae

I found this moth yesterday afternoon when I returned home from an Agricultural Show.

I'm pretty sure it is Chrysodeixis argentifera. The tell-tale silver "S" on the wing separates it from a similar Chrysodeixis species.

Now I might know one of the cuprits making holes in my Silver Beet!

Caterpillars of this moth also feed on canola, beens, sunflowers and tomatoes and has a bit of a reputation as being an agricultural pest.

The moth measured about 2.4cm in resting position.

It can be found all over Australia, including Tasmania.

(Click images to enlarge)

Duncan has a photo of this moth in his "October Moths" gallery.

Shields Up!

I prefer to call them Shield Bugs rather than Stink Bugs! :-)

Anyway, I found these two sunning themselves on Artemisia absinthium (Wormwood) last Wednesday. I enjoy finding them around October each year. Their colouring interests me.

These two may be the same species although there is a bit of a difference in antennal markings.

I think these Shield Bugs are probably Oncocoris sp. Hemiptera : Pentatomidae.

(Click images to enlarge)

Junonia villida

(Meadow argus)

This is a common butterfly but I rarely see them here. Perhaps this season will be different. Although this one has seen better days it let me take this photgraph as it was sunning itself.



So far this year, I've seen a handful of Cabbage Whites, one or two Australian Painted Ladies, one Yellow Admiral and several sightings of Red-spotted Jezebel or Wood White. These gliding butterflies are one of my favourites so you can imagine how peeved I was when sitting off a Wood White yesterday as it inspected some mistletoe in my Melaleuca. It was on about the 4th or 5th lap of the tree when I suspect a rotten little Willy Wagtail whacked it! :-( It looked pretty guilty to me - sitting on my house power line licking it's little lips! Besides, I heard that 'snap'!!

And guess what! That Wagtail is expecting more to arrive! It's on constant patrol of the general location! Nothing to do with the fact that it may well have a nest in the vicinity. No, this Wagtail just wants to ruin my day!

Mean little bird! :-)