During the past spring and summer, larvae of the batwing moth on the garden eucalypts have been a no show, leading to a worry that the population may no longer be present. However, with the light shining it wasn’t long before a nice male moth came in.

Soon after an Oxycanus australis arrived,

and a tree lucerne moth, Uresiphita ornithopteralis showing its hind wings.

On an extremely quiet night they were the only photographs taken, after three hours they were the only moths on the sheet, and other insects one may have expected to see were also absent. This is extremely concerning in that there are no obvious reasons for this to be occurring, and  it may be mirroring the decline of  insect life world wide.

Another check on moths from the native garden, the usual suspects came in with a couple of species only seen occasionally, Epyaxa sodaliata, and Spoladea recurvalis, the latter being only a recent record in the locality.

Epyaxa sodaliata, the Sodaliata Moth.

Spoladea recurvalis, the Hawaiian Beet Webworm Moth.

Two species of Diatenes have been recorded from the garden, gerula and aglossoides.

Diatenes aglossoides, a strongly marked individual.

Orthaga thyrisalis, the Teatree Webworm Moth.

Prasinocyma semicrocea, the Common Gum Emerald, click to enlarge.

And three that lined up for their portrait, from the left,

Hypobapta diffundens, Plesanemma fucata, and Persectania ewingii, click to enlarge.