It’s now just over twenty years since the journey began, with the casual snapping of the occasional moth encountered during daylight hours. That sparked the interest that eventually led to this site being established, and perhaps it may be of interest to begin a series of posts illustrating that journey. This first post begins with a Hypodoxa muscosaria snapped on the wall in December 2005 using a Nikon 5700, and incidentally a species rarely seen since.

Next, a female Trichiocercus sparshalli that has just completed her egg laying on the clothes line, covering them with a thick mat of scales from her abdomen.

A Pterolocera species, lined group, missing half of one antenna.

A nice specimen of a small Geometrid, Chloroclystis filata.

A new more capable camera, a Panasonic FZ 30, snapped a male Mistletoe Moth, Comocrus behri,  in flight homing in on a female, January 2007.

Two Geometrids to finish this post, Ectropis excursaria, October 2007,

The first of many Tea-tree Emeralds, Aelochroma metarhodata showing its hind wings,

To be continued from time to time.

Not quite autumn, but a garden session after 45 mm of rain was indicated to see if the rain moths, Abantiades atripalpis are stirring yet. No such luck, a very small number of moth species came in, although the small Hepialid Elhamma australasiae arrived in numbers. All males, they showed a lot of variation in colour and pattern, this one was heavily marked.

Two Hednota species were also numerous, the previously shown Hednota pleniferellus,

and Hednota relatalis, showing different wing marking.

Anthela acuta is the usual Anthelid to the light from the garden, Anthela repleta has normally been seen in bush locations so it was interesting to see one come in on this occasion. The larvae graze on wattles, several of which are available for them. Click horizontal images to enlarge.

Dissomorphia australiaria, another variable moth.

Diatenes gerula.