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Cucumber Moth
Diaphania indica
15.4553, 119.92
Field Notes
Description:
Diaphania indica (Saunders, 1951) a member of the Family; Crambidae - Grass Moths. Here is an excellent description from Wikipedia; "The wingspan is about 30 mm. Adults have translucent whitish wings with broad dark brown borders. The body is whitish below, and brown on top of head and thorax as well as the end of the abdomen. There is a tuft of light brown "hairs" on the tip of the abdomen, vestigial in the male but well developed in the female. It is formed by long scales which are carried in a pocket on each side of the 7th abdominal segment, from where they can be everted to form the tufts. Unfertilized females are often seen sitting around with the tuft fully spread, forming two flower-like clumps of scales, which move slowly to spread their pheromones." Whoever submitted this description to Wiki is to be congratulated for providing the information so well and without using overly scientific terminology.
Habitat:
This Cucumber Moth was spotted in a rice field, early in the growing season. It did not seem to be able to make up its mind whether it preferred the leaves of the rice seedlings or the wild foliage around the edge of the field. It was obviously concentrating on attracting a mate, using its "tail tufts".
Notes:
Two interesting points: 1. The Wikipedia article (which is so well written) states in the Distribution and Ecology section; "The natural range of this moth seems to extend from South Asia to southern China and Taiwan, and south through Southeast Asia to the Maluku Islands of Indonesia; it does not seem to extend to the Philippines, but is widespread in Australia." I obviously disagree. https://philepidoptera.wixsite.com/philep includes it and I certainly have never found them to be wrong. 2. EOL mentions; "Diaphania indica is a species of Lepidoptera in the family crambid snout moths. They are nocturnal." I have seen this species on numerous occasions and always in daylight. However, it may be that the tail wagging (to attract a mate) is an exception to its normal behaviour and is done only in daylight hours
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