Cephonodes kingii (Gardenia Bee Hawk Moth)
We have found this moth at Claire Cottage on the Dorrigo Plateau.
Distribution: Northern WA, Northern Territory, Queensland, Northern NSW & occasionally Southern NSW
Sighted at Claire Cottage: between December & April.
We have found this moth at Claire Cottage on the Dorrigo Plateau.
Distribution: Northern WA, Northern Territory, Queensland, Northern NSW & occasionally Southern NSW
Sighted at Claire Cottage: between December & April.
Cephonodes kingii bred from Dorrigo Plateau larva, Claire Cottage, Dorrigo NSW, Feb 2004
Cephonodes kingii attracted to Claire Cottage moth light, Dorrigo NSW, Jan 2005
You can see in the beautiful photos below by Jackie Beer, of a moth she bred from a rescued larva, that on hatching the wings are covered with yellowish scales so they appear opaque. However, these scales fall off before the first flight, leaving the wings transparent with the black edging like a bee that gives these moths their common name. This is characteristic of all Cephonodes species.
A newly emerged C. kingii (with its pre-flight wing scales) , Ipswich Qld, Feb 2020 (Photo Jackie Beer)
A close-up of the pre-flight wing scales (Photo Jackie Beer) Feb 2020
Showing the underside of the pre-flight wings still with wing scales (Photo Jackie Beer) Feb 2020
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Newly emerged C. kingii it's wing scales will drop with wing activation pre 1st flight (Photo Jackie Beer) Feb 2020
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Cephonodes kingii feeding at dusk, Claire Cottage Dorrigo NSW, 20 Feb 2020, 7.20 pm
Cephonodes kingii feeding at dusk, Claire Cottage Dorrigo NSW, 20 Feb 2020, 7.20 pm
This photo shows the black tail hairs fanned out to assist stabilization as the moth hovers at a flower. Claire Cottage Dorrigo NSW, 20 Feb 2020, 7.20 pm
C. kingii feeding on a rainy day, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 6 pm 23 Feb 2020
C. kingii in the rain with tail hairs extended, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 6 pm 23 Feb 2020
Eggs laid on Gardenia street plantings, Coffs Harbour NSW, 25 Feb 2020
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Ready to hatch or parasitised? Coffs Harbour NSW, 25 Feb 2020
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1st instar newly hatched larva 27 Feb 2020
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Early 2nd instar, 1 Mar 2020
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2nd instar 5 Mar 2020
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3rd instar 12 Mar 2020
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4th instar 16 Mar 2020
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5th instar 26 Mar 2020
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Black larva form of Cephonodes kingii feeding on Gardenia, Dorrigo NSW, Feb 2004
Green & Black colour form of Cephonodes kingii larva Dorrigo NSW, Feb 2004
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The dorsal horns of Hawk Moth larvae can be a key ID factor (Photo Nicole Malcolm-Dineen, Dorrigo)
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Final instar green form larva on Gardenia, Dorrigo Plateau, 7 Feb 2019 (Photo Nicole Malcolm-Dineen)
Final instar black form larva on Gardenia, Dorrigo Plateau, 7 Feb 2019 (Photo Nicole Malcolm-Dineen)
5th instar dorsal horn
Cephonodes kingii (Gardenia Bee Hawk Moth)
We have found this moth at Claire Cottage on the Dorrigo Plateau.
Distribution: Northern WA, Northern Territory, Queensland, Northern NSW & occasionally Southern NSW
Moth Sightings:
Egg Sightings:
* DORRIGO PLATEAU: None to date
* ELSEWHERE: Coffs Harbour Feb 2020
Larva Sightings:
Larval food plants:
Breeding season on the Dorrigo Plateau: Thought to be September to April
Flight habit: Active mostly during the day - diurnal
Adult Moth: Size at rest - tip of thorax to tip of forewing: ?? - ??mm
Mature larva: length - ??mm. Colour forms in the final instar are a Green form & a Black form and combinations of both.
Caudal Horn
Egg Observations: Coffs Harbour 25/02/20 - 12.40pm-we observed a female depositing eggs on *Gardenia jasminoides in a Council street planting. Eggs were deposited singly using both upperside and underside of leaves but a search discovered one instance of a pair of eggs side by side on the upperside of a leaf (see photo above).
Larva Observations: Captive larva Feb 2020, 1st instar eating central areas of soft new developing leaves, some surface feeding but gradually eating more and developing in to holes within the leaf.
Thought Provoker: re our egg finds at Coffs Harbour 25/02/20 - on reflection we thought about having watched a female laying and recalled we also found many other eggs previously deposited, yet we found no larva. Examining the leaves we brought home with several eggs we also found a number of hatched egg shells yet no sign of leaves having been eaten by 1st instar larva. Whilst the 40-50 Gardenia plants had plenty of eggs on them larva appeared to be unable to survive - we will attempt more research to understand what is happening.
Difference between C. kingii and C. australis
From Dick Whitford FNQ: The dark area of the wing tips in C. kingii is noticeable broader than in C. australis
From Carol Deane: C. australis has a red stripe across its thorax which is not present in C. kingii. It varies in thickness with each specimen.
We have found this moth at Claire Cottage on the Dorrigo Plateau.
Distribution: Northern WA, Northern Territory, Queensland, Northern NSW & occasionally Southern NSW
Moth Sightings:
- DORRIGO PLATEAU: Dec 2004; Jan 2005; Feb 2004, 2005, 2020 (6); Mar 2020: Apl 2004;
- Last Sighting @ CC each year; 2020 = 29/02;
- ELSEWHERE: Near Glen Innis, New England Highway at a rest stop, mid 1990's; Coffs Harbour 12.40 25/02/20 depositing eggs on street planted Gardenia.
Egg Sightings:
* DORRIGO PLATEAU: None to date
* ELSEWHERE: Coffs Harbour Feb 2020
Larva Sightings:
- DORRIGO PLATEAU: Feb 2004 & Feb 2005
- ELSEWHERE: Carlingford, Sydney early 1970's (5th instar).
Larval food plants:
- DORRIGO PLATEAU: Exotic Gardenia sps. shown below
- ELSEWHERE: Rubiaceae: Canthium attenuatum, Canthium coprosmoides, Canthium odoratum, Canthium oleifolium, *Gardenia jasminoides (Syn:*Gardenia augusta), Gardenia ovularis, Larsenaikia ochreata, (Syn:Gardenia ochreata) Tarenna sps., Pavetta australiensis
- Rutaceae: Citrus limon*
Breeding season on the Dorrigo Plateau: Thought to be September to April
Flight habit: Active mostly during the day - diurnal
Adult Moth: Size at rest - tip of thorax to tip of forewing: ?? - ??mm
Mature larva: length - ??mm. Colour forms in the final instar are a Green form & a Black form and combinations of both.
Caudal Horn
Egg Observations: Coffs Harbour 25/02/20 - 12.40pm-we observed a female depositing eggs on *Gardenia jasminoides in a Council street planting. Eggs were deposited singly using both upperside and underside of leaves but a search discovered one instance of a pair of eggs side by side on the upperside of a leaf (see photo above).
Larva Observations: Captive larva Feb 2020, 1st instar eating central areas of soft new developing leaves, some surface feeding but gradually eating more and developing in to holes within the leaf.
Thought Provoker: re our egg finds at Coffs Harbour 25/02/20 - on reflection we thought about having watched a female laying and recalled we also found many other eggs previously deposited, yet we found no larva. Examining the leaves we brought home with several eggs we also found a number of hatched egg shells yet no sign of leaves having been eaten by 1st instar larva. Whilst the 40-50 Gardenia plants had plenty of eggs on them larva appeared to be unable to survive - we will attempt more research to understand what is happening.
Difference between C. kingii and C. australis
From Dick Whitford FNQ: The dark area of the wing tips in C. kingii is noticeable broader than in C. australis
From Carol Deane: C. australis has a red stripe across its thorax which is not present in C. kingii. It varies in thickness with each specimen.
