Monday, 21 November 2016

Moths known and unknown

A few moths fluttering around the windows late in the evening were captured to enable photos the next morning.
The largest was a hawk moth that I was able to identify as a Coprosma Hawk Moth Hippotion scrofa, a moth that is found throughout Australia as well as Fiji and India. Its caterpillars are not too fussy with a wide range of food plants such as sweet potatoes, dahlias, impatiens and fuchsias, however I expect the main food source here is the native slender grape Cayratia clematidea which is quite widespread on our property.

  

The other was one of the timber moths and the caterpillars are a pest of many agricultural crops throughout Australia, such as apples, apricots, cherries, peaches and the one that gives it its common name the Pecan Stem Girdler maroga melanostigma

  

 Finally a moth that I found the following night and managed a photograph with the torch light of my phone. 


It is quite a large moth with distinctive markings but as yet I have not been able to find its identity. 

2 comments:

  1. A wonderful selection of moths Ian. So interesting to see the species you find in Australia. Love the hawkmoth and the last one in particular looks intriguing :)

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  2. Pleased you are enjoying the moths and I still haven't found an ID for the last :)

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