January Mothing - 6

Hot! Who said it was hot! 39 deg. C in the shade at noon yesterday and again today!

A few moths photographed on 26th and 27th. I went to bed early last night but as Duncan mentioned, it's going to be too hot to sleep over the next few days and provided there is no wind here, I will probably be mothing again tonight!

(Click images to enlarge)


No. 1. Iphierga euphragma

PSYCHIDAE


Unfortunately, this is a less than satisfactory image. The sheet began to billow as I tried to record this moth. It didn't hang around for a second attempt! :-)




No. 2 I think this might be Spectrotrota fimbrialis

PYRALIDAE : Epipaschiinae




No. 3 Southern Old Lady

Dasypodia selenophora

NOCTUIDAE : Catocalinae




No. 4 Wingia aurata

OECOPHORIDAE : Oecophorinae






No. 5 Hellula hydralis

CRAMBIDAE : Glaphyriinae





No. 6 Hypobapta sp (female and male, I think)

GEOMETRIDAE : Geometrinae

Although this moth looks very much like Hypobapta diffundens and I would have called it H. diffundens until I read that species has a wingspan of only 2cm. My larger moth had a static winspan of at least 5cm.

Enquiries pending! :-)

UPDATE: I have received advice that Hypobapta diffundens has a small wingspan (thanks Donald) although images I found of this species appeared to match my moth better than my first identification choice of Hypobapta percomptaria which is a much larger moth, so it's possible my moths are H. percomptaria.

No. 7

I think this has to be Clania ignobilis. I photographed the larval case of the Faggot Case Moth not so long ago.

PSYCHIDAE


Duncan described his "Psych" as demented! I will describe mine as maniacal! :-)


I have found almost no good images of this clearwing species of Case Moth so am not prepared to call the species. Help required! :-)

No. 8 UPDATE: Probably Mythimna convecta (Common Armyworm) (Thanks for the research MH)

NOCTUIDAE : Hadeninae

UNIDENTIFIED

No. 9 - a striking moth

UPDATE: This moth is likely to be Dysbatus sp.

GEOMETRIDAE : Ennominae (Thanks again MH)

No. 10

January Mothing - 5

From Friday night's mothing session! :-)

(Click images to enlarge)

No. 1

Paraterpna sp

GEOMETRIDAE : Geometrinae

*************************

I have been getting quite a few nice little Oecophorids, some really small. A couple of these photos could have been better. Unfortunately, a few of the subjects were not prepared to settle long enough for a decent photo shoot! :-)

No. 2

Ericibdela delotis

OECOPHORIDAE

No. 3

An Oecophorid, I think. (Subject to correction/identification)

No. 4

Psaroxantha calligenes

OECOPHORIDAE

No. 5

(Subject to confirmation, but this looks a bit like Chrysonoma sp)

OECOPHORIDAE

No. 6 Zonopetala decisana

OECOPHORIDAE : Oecophorinae

UNIDENTIFIED

No. 7

Might be in the Crambidae family!

UPDATE: This is actually Chloroclystis insigillata (thanks MH) :-)

GEOMETRIDAE: Larentiinae

Had I been a little more diligent when searching my own records, I would have discovered I photographed another member of the Larentiinae subfamily in December and picked up on the similarities! :-)

January Mothing - 4

A few selections from a couple of recent mothing sessions - despite millions of very annoying small insects, including mosquitoes! :-)


(Click images to enlarge)

No. 1

Identification of this Plume Moth is pending.

UPDATE: This is Stangeia xerodes. (Thank you, Donald.)

PTEROPHORIDAE



No. 2

This is possibly Thrincophora sp. It is similar to a moth I photographed last December that Donald Hobern helped with identification as Thrincophora signigerana.

TORTRICIDAE



No. 3

I suspect this is Placocosma resumptella
OECOPHORIDAE : Oecophorinae


No. 4

Probably Hellula hydralis

CRAMBIDAE : Glaphyriinae







No. 5


A more normal looking Dissomorphia australiaria compared to the pale orange looking example I photographed earlier in the month!


GEOMETRIDAE : Ennominae






No. 6


Maroga melanostigma (Fruit-tree Borer)


OECOPHORIDAE : Xyloryctinae



No. 7

I think this is probably the Case/Bag Moth Lomera boisduvalii
PSYCHIDAE


No. 8 Tanyzancia argutella
OCEOPHORIDAE : Oecophorinae


No. 9

A Noctuid, perhaps?

UPDATE: Probably Dasygaster padockina (thanks MH)
NOCTUIDAE: Hadeninae



(Grid - 1 square = 1cm)

January Mothing - 3

A couple of still nights yielded a few new species.

(Click images to enlarge)

No. 1 Piloprepes antidoxa
OECOPHORIDAE : Oecophorinae


No. 2 Moerarchis inconcisella
TINEIDAE : Myrmecozelinae


No. 3 Oenochroma vinaria (Pink-bellied or Hakea Moth)
(I've not seen this moth since 2006)
GEOMETRIDAE : Oenochrominae

No. 4 Circopetes obtusata

GEOMETRIDAE : Oenochrominae

No. 5 Another Cup Moth. Doratifera sp - possibly Doratifera pinguis. This one has a very dark abdomen.

LIMACODIDAE

January Mothing - 2

More moths coming to light over the past week.


With assistance from Donald Hobern, I was able to put names to faces on Moths 1 and 2! :-)


(Click to enlarge images)



No. 1 Another Snout Moth - Pernattia pusilla
LASIOCAMPIDAE

No. 2 Heteromicta pachytera

PYRALIDAE : Galleriinae

No. 3 A very pale version of Dissomorphia australiaria (Thanks for confirmation, MH!)

GEOMETRIDAE : Ennominae

No. 4 Epiphyas sp. Possibly Epiphyas postvittana

TORTRICIDAE

No. 5 - an interesting little moth measuring all of 1.5cm antennae inclusive!

I think it might belong to the family LECITHOCERIDAE

As usual, entries subject to correction from those much more experienced than I am. :-)

January 2009 Mothing - 1

The year has got off to a good start mothing-wise, although there has been a bit of wind around. Quite a lot of new species and these are a few I have attempted to identify.


(Click images to enlarge)

No. 1 A Snout Moth - Paraguda rufescens
LASIOCAMPIDAE


No. 2 Agrotis radians
NOCTUIDAE : Noctuinae


No. 3 Cleora sp.
GEOMETRIDAE : Ennominae


No. 4 I think this is Proteuxoa tibiata
NOCTUIDAE : Acronictinae/Amphipyrinae


No. 5 Mythimna convecta (Common Armyworm)
NOCTUIDAE : Hadeninae


No. 6 Phrissogonus laticostata (Apple Looper)
This is a male, I believe, because of the furry shoulder pads!
GEOMETRIDAE : Larentiinae


No. 7 Probably Phelotis cognata - grey form
GEOMETRIDAE : Ennominae


No. 8 Donald Hobern photographed a moth very similar to this a day or so ago, so I will await his identification! :-)

UPDATE: (Thanks Donald!) This is possibly Compsotropha sp.
OECOPHORIDAE : Oecophorinae


No. 9 Anachloris subochraria
GEOMETRIDAE : Larentiinae

Identifications subject to correction, as usual! :-)