The other half

Walking back from the orchard I noticed what I thought was unusual dead leaf, on a vine among the banana plants but on closer look it was revealed as a moth.

With the distinctive patterns and shape of the wings I expected would make identification reasonably easy.

Checking the Australian Moth Family site, I thought it may be in the ANTHELIDAE family but the reference photos didn't have a match. However I did click on the Common Anthelid page that displayed a photo of a moth like one I posted in 2012, although it looked nothing like this moth.

2012 photo

. The difference was explained, today's moth is the female of the Common Anthelid Moth Anthela acuta  whilst the 2012 photo is of the male.

They are found in most states of Australia and the caterpillars feed on acacia species and grasses.

 

Oh! to be named common.

A moth arriving yesterday evening on the flyscreen was easily trapped by closing the window and was released this morning for a photo session. Quite an attractive moth with distinctive markings so when it came to identification the first moth I looked at in the family I thought it might belong to, was spot on. A "Common Anthelid" Anthela acuta, and this one a male as there is quite a colour and pattern variation between the sexes and I must say it does not look common to me.

One of the food plants for the caterpillars are wattles and we have quite a lot of naturally occurring species as well as ones we have planted in the gardens, so should not be surprised to see this moth.