<div class="field field--name-field-common-name field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tussock Moth

+ vote

Comments (22)

Very flattered!

Thank you very much Donald. I joined Flickr just to find you! : )

In general, the images on the Barcode of Life Database Australian Lepidoptera campaign website offer the most complete view of Australian moths on the web right now: http://www.lepbarcoding.org/australia/progress_reports.php?region=1&lvl=order&type=Lepidoptera

This Donald Hobern chap just happened to be looking anyway. I think this is actually not Teia or Orgyia but Olene mendosa. From the link I give in my ID, this seems rather a variable species but does match the pattern at the tip of the forewing better than Teia athlophora does and also also shows the oval near the base of the forewing.

Hmm, could be Argy. I'll send it to this Donald Hobern chap.

DanielePralong

Thanks for your explanation Martin. I just realized that my link was broken. It was to the painted apple moth... now Teia anartoides :-)

MartinL

@ Shanna. You might send the link to Donald Hobern. He is the biggest moth-er on flickr. @ Danielle, the genera of Teia and Orgyia are separated only by differences in male genitalia. I cannot imagine the tribe will be different. I cannot find your link. http://www.csiro.au/en/Organisation-Structure/Divisions/Ecosystem-Sciences/DonaldHobern.aspx http://eol.org/pages/2867245/overview

...used to be Orgyia phineus

sorry - http://bie.ala.org.au/repo/1040/39/394687/raw.jpg

Could it be Teia anartoides with considerable scale loss?

Martin, don't get me excited... new species?!?! It would make up for not seeing a Regent Bowerbird all weekend (or a Coxen's Fig Parrot for that matter)! What do you recommend, should I send it to Queensland Museum or something?

MartinL

Shanna. I am wrong. The lD I gave (and Butterfly house agrees) is only found in the west. My detailed moth book says there are only two Teia species and the other is only close. There are also only two Orgyia species and both have areole (white dot) on male forewing. They are wrong. Maybe you have Teia anartoides but a light form??? If its a new species you can name it for us :)

KerryHawkins

Great photo of a talked about Moth

DanielePralong

Martin: question about taxon: if it's the one I see it has been renamed from Orgyia athlophora. Is it still in the tribe orgyiini? I can't see it there and I'm not sure where it's gone! Thanks in advance for your reply :-)

Martin, you are the guru. It looks REALLY close... I just looked it up on Butterfly House though and it looks different. http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/lyma/athloph.html What are your thoughts?

MartinL

This typical male tussock has very hairy forelegs. The ornate bi pinnate antennae also indicate it is a male. Female tussock moths are usually wingless I bred two out and they were both females. http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/7993881 I will offer an ID with 90% confidence.

Impressive antennae usually go with males as they do the 'seeking' ? That's my theory anyway.

What tells you that it's a Tussock moth? There are others in different families that look kind of similar too (I saw one yesterday while I was researching that I can't even find again now)! I don't know what to look for.

DanielePralong

Tribe orgyiini. Haven't been able to find a perfect match. Here is a similar one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painted_app...

I'm not sure Argy, how do you tell? Nuwan - thank you! It looks like the right family, I can't see anything that looks like a match though. I thought it would be really easy to find an ID as it's quite distinctive-looking...

NuwanChathuranga

A Tussock Moth http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/lyma/lyma-moths.html