Gippsland Mothing

Many species in the genus Fisera, (Geometridae, Ennominae, Nacophorini) present problems in identification. Six named species and six un-named are listed in MOV 5 where there are extensive details of the genus. Fisera belidearia however, with its two-toned fore wings is very recognisable. There is a population in the garden, it was first photographed on the 23rd of June 2008 when a female came to the light and landed on the wall of the house. Visible in the images is another distinguishing mark, an orange/brown line down the centre of the thorax. Flight times are from April to August with July the main month.

The Two-toned Crest-moth, female.

This species was in mind during recent sessions at home, and on the 28th of June three came in to the light. Two males were photographed while the third made itself scarce. Interestingly, following the example of the female nine years ago, they refused to settle on the sheet, preferring a darker surface. The male in the next two shots landed on the floor below the workshop bench where it was photographed with some difficulty. The male antennae are pectinate, and larvae of these moths feed on eucalypt foliage.

This male landed in the grass so was moved to the sheet for a photograph.

Fisera eribola flies from February to April with March the main month. On the 16th of April 2008 a male moth came in, and like the 2008 belidearia was photographed with a Panasonic Lumix FZ 30 with on camera flash. Later moth photography has been done using a Nikon D90 with 100 mm Tokina macro lens and a Nikon SB 400 speedlight. The male antennae of this species are not as broadly pectinate as the other two.

The Orange-hooded Crest-moth, male.

Showing the hind wings.

Fisera hypoleuca is very variable and more than one species may be involved. (MOV 5) April and May are the main flight months, and in May 2016 and 2017, numbers came to the light in the Glenmaggie box/ironbark bush block. The variability was there with some having fairly plain fore wings while others had the discal spot in varying strengths. The following images are of males and females from both occasions. This species displays a dark line down the middle of the thorax and the final image shows violet colouring beneath the head. Females also tend to have more pointed fore wings than males.

The Russet Crest-moth, female.

Male.

Click to enlarge.

References and further reading,
M Hewish,
Moths of Victoria Volume 5.

Moths are much scarcer during the cold months, but it’s still worth the effort to investigate the winter flying species. The following examples over two nights are all from a native garden with eucalypts, wattles, she-oaks, and many shrubs in the Proteaceae and Rutaceae. The genus Capusa in the Geometridae, Ennominae, Nacophorini, is interesting in that they fold their wings around their bodies, unlike the majority in the family that spread their wings. This creates a problem as it is the hidden hind wings that are important for identification of species. Two came to the light on this night, and fortunately one spread a wing enough to show the brown toning and give the id. of C. graodes. This moth flies from February to November with July being the main month, they are both females.

Brown Wedge-moth.

The Chlenias banksiaria group, Ennominae, Nacophorini, contains several species to which the names have not yet been able to be positively assigned due to the difficulty of identification. The main flight months are late autumn and winter, and two males came to the light on a cold night that saw only four moths come in. The first is fairly typical of the garden population while the second is much more strongly marked than any previously recorded.