A session in mid May brought in a number of the familiar autumn flying moths, including many Lemon Gum Moths, Plesanemma fucata, well over twenty had come in by the time the light was turned off. Quoting from Moths of Victoria Volume 5, “Individuals can show marked variation in the background colour and amount of spotting on the forewings” and that was certainly the case on this occasion. Size also varied considerably, males and females arrived and many photos were taken of the different forms, some are shown below. The larvae feed on mature eucalypt leaves, a favourite species being Red Box, Eucalyptus polyanthemos, one of which is in the garden. Click images to enlarge.
Author: Pholodes
Autumn #3.
Geometrids have been hard to come by with the exception of Crypsiphona ocultaria which has been quite numerous. During one session two or three Ciampa arietaria (Nacophorini) landed on the sheet. This species can be readily identified by the dark forked projection on the frons, seen in the following images.
The Forked Pasture-moth, female.
Male.
A nice Emerald, (Prasinocyma) semicrocea. (Geometrinae)
The Common Gum Emerald, female.
And two Ectropis excursaria, (Boarmiinae)
The Common Bark Moth, male.
Female.
And while doing some tree work this larva was spotted, possibly a Fisera species.
And with the rains, Abantiades atripalpis is still coming in to the house lights.
Horizontal images will enlarge.