Christmas Bells

Christmas Bells
Christmas Bells - Blandfordia nobilis
Showing posts with label moths. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moths. Show all posts

Friday, April 25, 2014

Some moths from April 2014

These moths may be seen via my Facebook album which is set to be viewed by anyone and everyone.
You do not need to be a Facebook member to see them.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152786509244829.1073741916.809229828&type=1&l=783b0147ad

This seems likely to be
Thalaina clara

One of the usual Swift Moths I get in Robertson
Oxycanus dirempta

Friday, December 06, 2013

A hot, mothy night in Robbo, (last night)

It is cold and windy tonight and no moths are around.

By contrast, last night was "one of those nights" when one could not move for the moths around the front porch light.

Also a Dobsonfly which I have only previously seen close to the Wingecarribee Swamp, and last New Year's Eve when one flew into a Party at Dan Beville's place.


Have a quick look at these photos of insects and moths from last night.
Few names as yet, but I hope to track down some names for the more distinctive ones over the next week or so, I shall add any names I can track down,

Feel free to email me with name suggestions.
peonyden (at) gmail (dot) com.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152423797124829.1073741868.809229828&type=1&l=3594a60638

Friday, June 07, 2013

A new Moth - for me

As soon as I saw this hairy little moth, with its hairy legs pointing forward like this, I knew I had found something "new" for me. I went in search of similar Moth images on Don Herbison-Evans's Moths site. This was the closest I could find. It eventually led me on something of taxonomic merry-go-round.

Calliteara pura
my photo.
   This is clearly a similar beastie -
even if its colours are a bit different from mine.
It is clearly wearing similar "socks" as my specimen (above).
Both these specimens (above and below)
also have a prominent raised patch of hairs
in the middle of the thorax.

Calliteara farenoides (as per Don Herbison-Evan's site)
That photo actually is credited to
Buck Richardson from Kuranda.


Lee Freeman took this photo of me holding this hairy moth.
Note the prominent antennae with strong brown fibres
protruding on one side only (forward).
("pectinate antennae")

There is clearly some confusion about the identity (or naming) of these moths.
Don Herbison-Evans refers to his specimens as (variously) as Calliteara farenoides and
Calliteara horsfieldii and even mentions a former name of Dasychira horsfieldii. He freely acknowledges these ambiguities.

I sought assistance from Len Willan, who in turn sought advice from Ted Edwards, from the CSIRO Australian National Insect Collection.

  • This is what is listed in the “Checklist” and labelled in ANIC as Calliteara pura.  There are problems with this name because Lucas’ description of C. farenoides fits the NQ species and not the SQ, NSW and Vic. species although he gave Healesville as the type locality.
    So judged on the holotype, as we must do, C. farenoides is a junior synonym of C. queenslandica and the name C. pura applies to the southern one. C. pura came from Brisbane where Lucas lived and this is more likely to be a correct locality and the description fits the southern one.  The type is absent from the SAMA but there is a specimen labelled by Lucas as “pura”.
    So this is Calliteara pura.
    Cheers,  
    Ted.
Rosslyn Beeby deserves a bouquet for the write-up of Ted's career and his AM award.








Thursday, March 22, 2012

Some Butterflies and Moths of Robertson district.

Several nights ago I found this Moth on my front verandah - for the very first time.

I believe it is Eudocima materna, The abrupt rise in the line of the wings is quite distinctive. It matches the scalloped-out shape in the upper wings which becomes apparent (over the upper abdomen) when the wings are seen partly opened (second image).

Probably Eudocima materna

Probably Eudocima materna
If it is not that species, then I am pretty confident that it is in that genus. My problem is that the only other species in this Eudocima genus which is shown as entering NSW is Eudocima salaminia, which has quite distinctive (and dissimilar - from my specimen) markings on the upper wings. The other five species shown in Australia (according to Don Herbison-Evans' website) are all tropical moths.

This genus of moths is known as an agricultural pest, known as "fruit piercing moths". Mostly they attack Citrus but they also attack Lychees where those fruit are grown commercially. Their native "host plants" are mostly in the Menispermaceae family, best known in the Illawarra region for the Snake Vine and Pearl Vine.

Switching to the Butterfly tribe I was lucky enough to capture these images yesterday, at Clover Hill Falls track, half way down Macquarie Pass. These Butterflies were quite common along that track, amongst rainforest undergrowth underneath the Eucalypt upper-storey.

 
Wonder Brown Butterfly - female

What I did not realise at the time was that these dull brown Butterflies are the females of the species (only). They are Wonder Brown Butterflies (Heteronympha mirifica). Apparently the male of this species look like the more normally coloured forms of  "Brown Butterflies" (this term is used informally).
Wonder Brown Butterfly - female
Don Herbison-Evans shows both the males and the females. He says: "For many years it was thought the sexes were from different species, as the males also tend to congregate towards the tops of hills, and the females prefer the moist gullies below". That's why I didn't realise there were distinct males and females, as I was only seeing the females in the moist gullies.

One of the things I noticed about these Butterflies was their habit of sitting with the wings held totally flat.
Wonder Brown Butterfly - female
On the slow walk back along Clover Hill Falls track to the Illawarra Highway, I came across this stunning and dangerous-looking creature. At first I was suspicious that it might have been a Wasp. I have read about these Moths which resemble Wasps, but this was the first time I had seen one close up - close enough for meaningful photos.

The "experts" seem to be very cautious in naming species of these Wasp Moths. But with the small orange dots on the wings, (as distinct from large transparent patches on the wings) this seems the best "fit" in appearance and geographical range (as far as I can check). The Atlas of Living Australia seems to be having service difficulties tonight. 

If any reader can advise me if I am not correct, I would appreciate being set right.

Eressa angustipenna
Click to enlarge image.
You can see the coiled up mouth-parts
(known as a proboscis)
Eressa angustipenna
What an amazing-looking Moth. I think you can see why I was wary of it at first.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Contortionist Caterpillars

I saw several amazingly shaped Caterpillars near the Avon Dam several days ago.
 
Caterpillar - what is it doing, and which end is which?
There were two of them on a small bush of  the Large-leafed Hop Bush (Dodonaea triquetra).
Large-leafed Hop Bush (Dodonaea triquetra)
As I first saw it. Dodonaea stem being stripped by Caterpillar
This is the same shot, cropped so you can start to figure out which end is which.
The head end is on the left, for that's where the leaf was being chewed.
Close-up of Caterpillar at work stripping the leaf.
The full contortionist pose

This pose is the full defensive pose. 
There is an orange protrusion in the middle of the back.
The prolegs (lumps on the abdomen which assist in grasping the stem)
have protective spines.
The real legs are beneath the head end, and are protruding 
to the right of the image.
They look like weapons.
There are 3 pairs - (the insect's normal quota of six legs ***)
There is some visual distortion because of the diagonal angle of the shot.
Click on image to see in full detail.


Caterpillar head (on right) curled back, tail probe extended.

Caterpillar in first defensive pose - head raised (at left)

Caterpillar in second defensive pose (head reflexed)
Now I need to confess that I found it difficult to "visualise the parts of the caterpillar" in its upside down position, so the preceding three images have been inverted.
This is MY limitation, not the Caterpillar's, for it functions perfectly well with its head low down.
But I don't, so I felt it easier to "understand" what was what, by inverting those images.
But for the sake of honesty, I ought show the caterpillar feeding in its normal position
So here it is "the way it was".
Actual position of Caterpillar - the way it was seen (pose 1)
Actual position of Caterpillar - the way it was seen (pose 2)
OK.Now to the challenging bit - finding out what I had seen.
Of course I went straight to the wonderful Australian Lepidoptera site, run by Don Herbison-Evans and Stella Crossley. In fact I went to the page dealing with Caterpillars of Australian Moths

The reason I did that turned out to be the undoing of my search for an ID as well.

I have seen lots of Hawk Moths in my time, and in seeking to ID them, I have looked at many web pages for these moths. I knew therefore, that most have Caterpillars which have a prominent "horn" on their tail end.
And that's what I thought I had here.
Wrong.
Hawk Moths are in the Sphingidae family.
I went there and looked in vain for a match to my Caterpillars.
I knew they were distinctive, so surely somebody must know.
I emailed Don Herbison-Evans who promptly replied the next morning, that I had found caterpillars of  Neola semiaurata.
Sure enough, they have a perfect match for my caterpillars.

I wish to express my appreciation to Don for his assistance, and also for having been largely instrumental in creating the amazing website which is such a valuable resource for people like me, who keep finding moths to be of interest.

OK, that's the ID, but what is it about the strange shape?

Neola semiaurata is in the Notodontidae family.
I had not thought to look in that family, for my caterpillars.
The page for this family says: Many Caterpillars of this family adopt a characteristic posture when they feel threatened: they raise the tail and the head to make a U shape. (Yes)
Many of the species of NOTODONTIDAE have Caterpillars with reduced anal prolegs and several humps on their backs (yes) Some are hairy and some are smooth except for a few spines and fleshy tubercles. (Yes)

The large flat area at the tail end of my Caterpillars are in fact the last pair of "prolegs" which have become modified into serving in a display function, it seems (to me). That is the last bit of the caterpillar on the right hand side of the image above. The red "spike" is not hard tissue. It looks pointy, but is in fact soft tissue, which is capable of being everted, when the caterpillar is in the display role.

The plants on which my Caterpillars were feeding are in the Sapindaceae family. Many plants in that family are contain mildly toxic saponins with soap-like qualities in either the foliage and/or the seeds, or roots. Many of the Caterpillars in this Notodontid family have larvae capable of producing chemical defences (cyanic acid, formic acid, and other ketones not commonly found in other Lepidoptera.

So the plants are likely to be strong chemical producers, and the Caterpillars themselves may contain, or even produce toxic or noxious chemicals. So, there might just be something to back up all that scary defensive posturing. 

It worked well enough to prevent me from touching the caterpillars. I have been stung by Cup Moths previously, and I still remember how sharply that sting hurt me. I wasn't about to take any chances with these caterpillars.

OK, I think we have just about done the Caterpillar story.
What does it become after metamorphosis?
What kind of moth, I mean, and what does it look like?
Once again the specific website says: "The adult moth is rather dull compared to its Caterpillar, having forewings speckled dark grey, and pale orange hind wings. It has a wingspan of about 6 cms". There is a photo of the pinned specimen of an adult moth on that site.

Compared to the spectacular caterpillars, the moths of Neola semiaurata are somewhat disappointing.


*** I referred above to "the insect's normal quota of six legs"
It ain't that simple folks. See this page on "prolegs".
Caterpillars and many other larvae of insects, such as Wasps and Sawflies have developed "prolegs".
These can function like legs, but lack the hard tips typical of true legs (see my images above where the "prolegs" are holding the Caterpillar onto the stem, and the real legs are raised in a defensive posture.

Now for the tricky bit.
There are variations away from the standard, so, while all Caterpillars have six true legs, many caterpillars have up to 5 sets (10 in total) prolegs. These are soft tissue organs, used for walking and clinging on to stems (as in the case of my Caterpillars). These prolegs have a set of microscopic hooks on the base (crochets). The last pair of prolegs are adapted as "claspers".

Then the variations really set in.
The Australian Lepidoptera site says: "The Caterpillars of some species have atrophied prolegs, and appear to only have 8, 6, or 4 prolegs, or even no legs at all. In the metamorphosis, all the prolegs disappear".

It gets even worse, folks.
In the adult phase, in many species of Butterflies, one pair of true legs may disappear. Many butterfly species have only four legs. The Wanderer Butterfly is one such example.

So, where does that leave our understanding that "Insects have six legs"?
Out the window, I suggest.
Well, with the vast majority of  species, and genera and families of insects, it is accurate. But there is no such thing as a "safe" hard and fast rule.

Once again, thanks to Don Herbison-Evans for the information which is the source of most of that discussion on prolegs and real legs.

Thursday, February 09, 2012

Slip Sliding Away

It is raining hard in Robertson tonight. After 6 weeks of grey skies, but relatively little rain, that is good news for the bush, and its little slippery creatures. That's why I have called this post "Slip Sliding Away".***

My friend Wendy, from Ulladulla has just posted on Facebook that the Frogs are singing their praises for the rain there, too. Good for them.

Last night I returned from a trip to Nerriga (between Nowra and Braidwood) and collected an important parcel from Sam and Charlie. Sam had told me several weeks ago about a Slug with a red mark on its back. I had heard of this mysterious creature before, but I had never seen one before. 

I did know that it was called the "Red Triangle Slug" (Triboniophorus graeffei) How infrequently one finds an accurate descriptive common name! Judging by the comments and other images in the Gallery on that linked page, my Slug is in its "retracted" state. 
It seems to be saying "Go Away - Leave me alone". I took it outside, and released it into dense cover, while it was raining, last night. Slugs love the rain, as it means they can move easily across otherwise drying surfaces.

The image is too bright, but it shows the marking really well
Red Triangle Slug

Triboniophorus graeffei - Red Triangle Slug

Triboniophorus graeffei - Red Triangle Slug

After posting these images on Facebook this afternoon, I got a message from a fellow Blogger Margaret that she had also posted photos of them. In fact she posted what she called a Red Triangle Slug Orgy, for indeed there are 4 of these creatures in a huddle, two pairs of paired up slugs. And, as they are hermaphroditic (see below), it is an orgy in every sense of the word.
  • "a form of sexual reproduction in which both partners can act as the "female" or "male". For example, the great majority of pulmonate snails, opisthobranch snails and slugs are hermaphrodites"  (Wikipedia)
***********

Having been inspired by the rain to write more about "slippery, slimy things" I asked another fellow blogger Bronwen, who rejoices in the nom de plume "Snail", about this little slug I found late one afternoon, at Fitzroy Falls. 

To me, the surprising thing about this Slug was that I found it at about head-height in a prickly-leafed Tea-tree Bush (Leptospermum sp). That's not where I would ever expect to find a small Slug.

"Snail" responded: "Because it is not extended, I'm not 100% (sure) but it looks like a native cystopeltid. There are probably a whole bunch of species in the SE, but for the moment the S one is called Cystopelta astra".
A quick Google image search revealed a very close match indeed, from Mongarlowe, which is only about 120 Km south-west from here. Cystopelta astra - the "Snowy Mountains Humpback Slug" Thanks "Snail" (aren't experts great? Especially when they are generous with their information!)



The feature I noticed straight away with this Slug was the distinction between the thick body and the relatively fine, flat tail.
 That is quite clear in this next image.
Cystopelta astra - the "Snowy Mountains Humpback Slug"
This little slug seems to be widely distributed in south-eastern Australia, but not seemingly it has not often been photographed. 

The Morwell National Park website (as it often does) has a good page of information on a closely related species: It says: "This is a native species of slug that appears to be somewhere between a normal slug and a snail. The visceral mass, appears to be separated from the foot at the rear (this is the part permanently enclosed in the shell of a snail). The tail is flat......" (I have omitted comments which do not apply to my species.)

Cystopelta astra - the "Snowy Mountains Humpback Slug"

Cystopelta astra - the "Snowy Mountains Humpback Slug"
Well, as I conclude my blogging tonight, I note that the rain has now eased, and the Moths are starting to fly. The Moths of Robertson seem to love a good wet night.

I have has 41mm in the last 24 hours. That amount of rain is not high, by any means. It is simply worthy of comment as it is more rain than we have had in any day these last two months. So far this year, Robertson has "missed out" on the good rains which have fallen in Queensland and northern New South Wales (in Sydney even and certainly in points further north).

*** "Slip Sliding Away" Lyrics by Paul Simon - performed by Simon and Garfunkel "Concert in Central Park" 1981. 
Art had nearly lost his formerly pure, angelic singing voice at that stage, but it still was one of the all-time great live concerts. But, on that particular night, in Central Park,  he ought not have gone for the high notes in "Bridge over Troubled Water". Apart from that it was a great concert. And I merely saw it on TV (and had the tape, then the CD).

Monday, January 30, 2012

Huge colourful Swift Moth at Butler's Swamp.

On Friday I was at Butler's Swamp (just on the roadside verge, folks), in Kangaloon. I noticed this amazing moth sitting low down in the grass and rushes there.

I am familiar with the large Swift Moths which come to my porch light and windows on wet nights, especially. Usually Oxycanus dirempta.
But this one seemed different - larger, heavier, fatter and with deeper wings than any I had ever seen before.
Also, all my previous ones had some silver marks on the wings, but the patterns vary considerably.

All photos today are provided by 
my Orchid colleague, Alan Stephenson.

Ignore the dark lines on the wings
They are shadows from the grasses and rushes
in which this moth was hiding.
Its wings are plain fawn coloured.
No silver stripes.
Abantiades hyalinatus - a "Swift Moth" or "Ghost Moth"
Anyway, I sought advice from Dave Rentz, who said he thought it was an Hepialid Moth, but flicked the question on to Ted Edwards, from CSIRO's Australian National Insect Collection.

The answer came back that it is indeed a Hepialid moth, Abantiades hyalinatus
 
Indeed, my moth matches some shots from Donald Hobern's gallery.
But a quick look at the link below will show you why I did not recognise it at first. Look at the variability of this species of Swift Moth.
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=25401497@N02&z=t&q=Australia+Abantiades+hyalinatus

It sure makes it hard for the amateur when they have wing pattern markings which are "optional".

I was not surprised when David originally suggested Hepialidae, but could not find matches in the Australian Moths on line page for this species.
http://www1.ala.org.au/gallery2/v/Hepialidae/Abantiadeshyalinatus/
Ted's comment about the colour fading (after the specimen dries out) explains that.
 

But I still think it very unsporting of these Moths to have optional patterned or plain wing markings.

Many thanks to both Dave Rentz and Ted Edwards.

**********************

Although we were out and about searching for Orchids (and we found some good ones), the Moth "find" tended to be the discovery of the day.

What happened was that when I spotted the moth 
we all gathered around to take photos.
Then I decided to try to pick up the moth, gently, 
as many large moths appear not to be too troubled by being handled.
Side on view of head, and neck of Abantiades hyalinatus
When I did pick it up, it immediately started flapping.
That revealed this amazing underneath colour.
Clear lilac hind wings.
Abantiades hyalinatus - hind wing colour
And not only were the wings this lilac colour
So was the body!
Amazing.
Abantiades hyalinatus with lilac body revealed
****************

Lest you think too badly of me, dear reader, 
for having disturbed this creature,
here she is, after I released her. 
She flew straight back down into the grasses and rushes
and grabbed hold of a stem, 
just as she had been doing when I first found her.

(I have assumed the sex to be female, mostly because of her size
and also her relatively fine antennae - but I am NO EXPERT.)

You can see the slight hint of lilac even there.
I am not sure what the large black dots are
on the abdomen.
Presumably some kind of gland or other organ.
If anyone can advise me, I would appreciate it.
Underneath view of Abantiades hyalinatus
Once again, I express my gratitude to Alan Stephenson for the photos.
I can now reveal that on the day I was busy 
hanging on to the Moth during the "flapping shots"
and afterwards, 
I was totally bewildered by my encounter with this wonderful moth
and so could barely hold my camera straight.

Post Script: Regular readers will have noted that when Blogging about Moths I frequently link back to Donald Hobern's Flickr Gallery of Australian Lepidoptera (as I have done today).

Well today, Donald advised that "Friday was my last day working at CSIRO as Director of the Atlas of Living Australia (http://www.ala.org.au/). I am moving for a few years with my family to become Director of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (http://www.gbif.org/) in Copenhagen, Denmark. I'm already suffering withdrawal pains at the thought of leaving the Australian fauna for a few years, but I'll be back and I plan to keep working on the Australian plume moths in my spare time."
Donald Hobern.

It is appropriate therefore for me to thank Donald publicly for the excellent service he has provided via his personal Photo gallery, and also via his role as Director of the Atlas of Living Australia. 

I hope that he will continue to make his photo gallery available to us, as a reference service.
And I hope that the Atlas will continue to grow, and develop to its full potential. It is a service which has attracted the interest of many naturalists as well as professionals in the various fields of Natural History.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Common Splendid Ghost Moth (male)

I have previously posted about the female of this species - the Common Splendid Ghost Moth - Aenetus ligniveren.  

She looked totally different from this fellow - so much so that when I found this one, I knew I ought to recognise it, but could not. 

I had only ever seen pictures of the male, not the real thing. The female was brown with green patches on her wings.
This fellow was a lovely apple green with silver stripes across its wings, a silvery head, really large brown eyes. He was intent on hanging from stems of grasses and Lomandra leaves. The wings were held closed against the body, almost as a Fruit Bat does. A very strange wing position for a Moth.


Strangely, both encounters with this species were around the same time, and both involved Kirsten. The last one we a somewhat more personal encounter with Kirsten, as the female moth laid a clutch of eggs in Kirsten's hands, in the previous encounter.

On Sunday, we went down to Kirkland Road, looking for Orchids (of course). But as with all true Naturalists, anything and almost everything unusual is of interest to us both. Kirsten is more keen on insignificant herbs than I am, and especially grasses - but that is an on-going debate.  

Anyway, I spotted this handsome Moth hanging from a stem of Lomandra, initially. 
I suspect it was just warming itself up, 
perhaps having only recently emerged from its pupa.

Aenetus ligniveren - Kirsten lining the moth up for a close-up.

Common Splendid Ghost Moth - Aenetus ligniveren
 From above, you can see the silvery white head
the huge brown eyes.
The wings are wrapped around below the body.
with the leg in front of the eye, you can how hairy the legs are.
(Click to enlarge image).
Aenetus ligniveren - head on view of male

.
Male Aenetus ligniveren hanging from grass stem by one leg.
 Note how the hairs on the body 
have been brushed onto the eyes and face
of the Moth.
It has relatively small antennae, which actually surprises me.
But it matches this CSIRO specimen.
head view of male Aenetus ligniveren

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