Psilogramma casuarinae (Privet Hawkmoth)
We have found this moth at Claire Cottage on the Dorrigo Plateau.
Distribution: Far North Queensland south from Archer River, Cape York Peninsula, through Queensland and NSW to Central Victoria.
Sighted at Claire Cottage in February.
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Please note: there are seven known species of Psilogramma in Australia. The adults all resemble each other in appearance. Identification therefore requires great care. Of assistance is knowing where your specimen was sighted. Utilising some of the descriptive aids found in 'Hawkmoths of Australia' Moulds, Tuttle and Lane, (page 212) will prove of great benefit in attempting to identify adult Psilogramma's. Factors such as the condition of your specimen and the quality of any photograph will both play an important role in assisting identification.
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Warning issued by the Authors of the 2020 'Hawkmoths of Australia' book (Moulds,Tuttle,Lane)
Psilogramma species are difficult to identify. All species are highly variable in markings, colour and size, and most have no single defining feature.
Whilst the Adult Key the Authors have created in their book is very helpful in attempting accurate identification, they also provide a detailed description of each moth, and its early stages. Identification remains tricky and considerable care is needed. To further assist identification, location and foodplant (for larva), as well as time of the year, should be taken into account.
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GENERAL INFORMATION
The publication of the new book 'Hawkmoths of Australia', (Moulds, Tuttle & Lane) 2020 provides a wealth of information to assist in Australian Hawkmoth ID's including Psilogramma IDs.
For us, prior to publication of the new Hawkmoth book, it was an interesting study trying to discover ways of identifying Psilogramma adults visually for each of the seven, Psilogramma species. However we failed to come up with a foolproof method of doing this.
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Description as published in 'Hawkmoths of Australia', Maxwell Moulds, James Tuttle, David Lane: 2020. Psilogramma casuarinae is distinquished from all other Australian Psilogramma species (except sometimes Psilogramma exigua) in having the following combination of characters:
* head, thorax and abdomen light grey with black markings,
* thoracic shoulder immediately anterior of forewing basenever with a white patch,
* forewing discal spot rarely visible,
* forewing tornal patch grey and white (rarely with black),
* forewing with a diffused white spot adjacent to thorax,
* retinaculum often white or very pale grey,
* abdominal midline clearly marked black,
* checkered fringe along outer margin usually with white and black sections mostly equal in pairs but not all indentical in length.
Description: Of the seven Psilogramma species P. casuarinae is generally not the largest. Male forewings measure 45-51mm, females 50-59mm. Colouring is an overall slate grey, with overlying black markings.- (id description provided by David Lane).
We have found this moth at Claire Cottage on the Dorrigo Plateau.
Distribution: Far North Queensland south from Archer River, Cape York Peninsula, through Queensland and NSW to Central Victoria.
Sighted at Claire Cottage in February.
******************************************************************************************
Please note: there are seven known species of Psilogramma in Australia. The adults all resemble each other in appearance. Identification therefore requires great care. Of assistance is knowing where your specimen was sighted. Utilising some of the descriptive aids found in 'Hawkmoths of Australia' Moulds, Tuttle and Lane, (page 212) will prove of great benefit in attempting to identify adult Psilogramma's. Factors such as the condition of your specimen and the quality of any photograph will both play an important role in assisting identification.
*****************************************************************************************************
Warning issued by the Authors of the 2020 'Hawkmoths of Australia' book (Moulds,Tuttle,Lane)
Psilogramma species are difficult to identify. All species are highly variable in markings, colour and size, and most have no single defining feature.
Whilst the Adult Key the Authors have created in their book is very helpful in attempting accurate identification, they also provide a detailed description of each moth, and its early stages. Identification remains tricky and considerable care is needed. To further assist identification, location and foodplant (for larva), as well as time of the year, should be taken into account.
******************************************************************************************
GENERAL INFORMATION
The publication of the new book 'Hawkmoths of Australia', (Moulds, Tuttle & Lane) 2020 provides a wealth of information to assist in Australian Hawkmoth ID's including Psilogramma IDs.
For us, prior to publication of the new Hawkmoth book, it was an interesting study trying to discover ways of identifying Psilogramma adults visually for each of the seven, Psilogramma species. However we failed to come up with a foolproof method of doing this.
*****************************************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************************************
Description as published in 'Hawkmoths of Australia', Maxwell Moulds, James Tuttle, David Lane: 2020. Psilogramma casuarinae is distinquished from all other Australian Psilogramma species (except sometimes Psilogramma exigua) in having the following combination of characters:
* head, thorax and abdomen light grey with black markings,
* thoracic shoulder immediately anterior of forewing basenever with a white patch,
* forewing discal spot rarely visible,
* forewing tornal patch grey and white (rarely with black),
* forewing with a diffused white spot adjacent to thorax,
* retinaculum often white or very pale grey,
* abdominal midline clearly marked black,
* checkered fringe along outer margin usually with white and black sections mostly equal in pairs but not all indentical in length.
Description: Of the seven Psilogramma species P. casuarinae is generally not the largest. Male forewings measure 45-51mm, females 50-59mm. Colouring is an overall slate grey, with overlying black markings.- (id description provided by David Lane).
Psilogramma casuarinae (Privet Hawkmoth)
We have found this moth at Claire Cottage on the Dorrigo Plateau.
Distribution: Far North Queensland south from Archer River, Cape York Peninsula, through Queensland and NSW to Central Victoria.
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CARE UNDER DEVELOPMENT - SAMPLE ONLY
Description as published in 'Hawkmoths of Australia', Maxwell Moulds, James Tuttle, David Lane: 2020. Psilogramma papuensis is distinquished from all other Australian Psilogramma species by the following combination of characters:
* head and thorax above light grey;
* forewingwith an overall whitish or light grey appearance overlaid with black markings,
* thoracic shoulder (anterior of forewing base) with a small white (often dull) patch,
* abdominal midline clearly marked black,
* discal spot often white,
* checkered fringe along outer marginusually with white sections longer than black ones.
Description: Of the seven Psilogramma species P. casuarinae is generally not the largest. It's colouring is an overall slate grey, with overlying black markings.- (id description provided by David Lane).
Moth Sightings:
DORRIGO PLATEAU:
Dec 2021,
Jan 2023(3)
Feb 2004, 2020
ELSEWHERE: Possibly Whyanbeel, FNQ (see wording under photo directly above).
Larva Sightings:
DORRIGO PLATEAU: None to date
ELSEWHERE: None to date
Larval food plants:
DORRIGO PLATEAU:
DORRIGO PLATEAU:
Breeding season on the Dorrigo Plateau: Thought to be September to April
Flight habit: Nocturnal - Active at night.
Adult Moth: Size at rest - tip of thorax to tip of forewing: ?? - ??mm
Mature larva: length - 80mm.
Colour form: Final instar: Green or green & brown mixed.
Eye Spots: None
Other distinguishing features: Diagonal white stripes along both sides.
Dorsal Horn: Straight Backward facing in all instars.
Pupa: Formed under leaf litter below food plant.
We have found this moth at Claire Cottage on the Dorrigo Plateau.
Distribution: Far North Queensland south from Archer River, Cape York Peninsula, through Queensland and NSW to Central Victoria.
*****************************************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************************************
CARE UNDER DEVELOPMENT - SAMPLE ONLY
Description as published in 'Hawkmoths of Australia', Maxwell Moulds, James Tuttle, David Lane: 2020. Psilogramma papuensis is distinquished from all other Australian Psilogramma species by the following combination of characters:
* head and thorax above light grey;
* forewingwith an overall whitish or light grey appearance overlaid with black markings,
* thoracic shoulder (anterior of forewing base) with a small white (often dull) patch,
* abdominal midline clearly marked black,
* discal spot often white,
* checkered fringe along outer marginusually with white sections longer than black ones.
Description: Of the seven Psilogramma species P. casuarinae is generally not the largest. It's colouring is an overall slate grey, with overlying black markings.- (id description provided by David Lane).
Moth Sightings:
DORRIGO PLATEAU:
Dec 2021,
Jan 2023(3)
Feb 2004, 2020
ELSEWHERE: Possibly Whyanbeel, FNQ (see wording under photo directly above).
Larva Sightings:
DORRIGO PLATEAU: None to date
ELSEWHERE: None to date
Larval food plants:
DORRIGO PLATEAU:
- OLEACEAE - Jasminum polyanthum* (White Jasmine), Ligustrum lucidum* (Broad Leaf Privet), Ligustrum sinense* (Narrow Leaf Privet), Ligustrum vulgare* (European Privet), Olea europaea* (Olive tree),
- ELSEWHERE: (as for DORRIGO PLATEAU)
DORRIGO PLATEAU:
- BIGNONIACEAE - Pandorea jasminoides, Pandorea pandorana,
- LAMIACEAE - Clerodendrum floribundum, C.tomentosum (Hairy Clerodendrum),
- OLEACEAE - Jasminum*, Ligustrum lucidum* (Broad Leaf Privet), Ligustrum sinense* (Common Privet), Ligustrum undulatum (Box-leaf Privet) Notelaea longifolia
- BIGNONIACEAE - Deplanchea tetraphylla (Golden Bouquet Tree), Dolichandrone heterophylla, Campsis grandiflora*(Chinese trumpet vine), Campsis radicans*(Trumpet vine), Clytostoma callistegioides*(Argentine trumpet vine), Podranea ricasoliana*(Pink Bignonia), Radermachera sinica*(Asian Bell Tree), Spathodea campanulata*(African tulip tree), Tecoma stans* (Yellow Trumpet Vine), T. capensis*(Cape honeysuckle)
- CAPRIFOLIACEAE - Lonicera japonica* (Japanese Honeysuckle)
- LAMIACEAE - Vitex trifolia
- OLEACEAE - Fraxinus angustifolia* (=F.oxycarpa) (Claret Ash), F.excelsior*(Golden Ash), F.griffithii* (Himalayan Ash), F.valutina* (Velvet Ash), Jasminum humile*, J.nudiflorum*, J.polyanthum*, J.volubile*, Olea africana*(Wild Olive), Olea europaea*(Common Olive),Olea paniculata, Osmanthus fragans*(Fragrant Olive), Syringa vulgaris*(Lilac)
- PLANTAGINACAE - Antirrhinum majus*(Snapdragon), Veronica salicifolia*(Veronica)
- VERBENACEAE - Citharexylum hydalglense*, Duranta repens*(Golden Dewdrop)
Breeding season on the Dorrigo Plateau: Thought to be September to April
Flight habit: Nocturnal - Active at night.
Adult Moth: Size at rest - tip of thorax to tip of forewing: ?? - ??mm
Mature larva: length - 80mm.
Colour form: Final instar: Green or green & brown mixed.
Eye Spots: None
Other distinguishing features: Diagonal white stripes along both sides.
Dorsal Horn: Straight Backward facing in all instars.
Pupa: Formed under leaf litter below food plant.