Mothing has been on hold for a while, but here’s a short post. On checking the garden tree trunks, larvae of the Batwing Moth, Chelepteryx collesi were found on four species of eucalypt, E. punctata, E. leucoxylon, E. tereticornis ssp. mediana, and E. parramattensis, so they obviously have a wide range of host trees. Normally, during the day they camp in a cleft in the bark, so it was unusual to find one moving around on the yellow gum in mid afternoon, perhaps it was trying to find a better retreat on the smooth-barked tree.

Two were together on the parramattensis,

On the punctata.

In fourteen years of mothing in a variety of habitat types, the Beautiful Leaf Moth, Gastrophora henricaria has never come in to the light. According to Moths of Victoria Volume Four, it is widespread in wetter areas of the state, but is rarely encountered. Then, a week ago, a sharp-eyed friend wandering around his bush block found this nice male and snapped it with his phone, good one!

A mild night with a light sprinkle of rain saw the light shining for the first time this spring. A reasonable number of moths came in from the garden and beyond, with an unusual number of carrion beetles, Ptomaphila lacrimosa also on the job. The most numerous species were Spilosoma curvata and Melanodes anthracitaria, several of each coming in. Following is a selection of the night’s  visitors.

The Chevron Cutworm, Diarsia intermixta.

The Australian Cabbage Looper, Chrysodeixis subsidens.

A spectacular little Oecophorid, Arachnographa micrastrella, first for the site.

The Cream Wave, Scopula perlata, a strongly marked individual.

The Pome Looper, Chloroclystis testulata, white-patched form.

The Black-banded Wedge-moth, Capusa senilis.

The Streaked Notodontid, Destolmia lineata.

The Ring-tipped Bark Moth, Syneora hemeropa, male. When Moths of Victoria Volume 7 was published, Victorian specimen data numbered just three. Since that time males and females of the species have come to the light from the garden, suggesting that there is a resident population. A bush record has also been made recently.