Psilogramma menephron nebulosa
We have found this moth at Claire Cottage on the Dorrigo Plateau.
Photo ID's being checked
Distribution: Queensland and NSW (south to the Mid North Coast, Bellinger River, below Dorrigo Plateau & Hat Head, near Kempsey).
Sighted at Claire Cottage between November & 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 menephron nebulosa is distinquished from all other Australian Psilogramma species in having the following combination of characters:
* head, thorax above brown to blackish,
* forewings with an overall brown or blackish appearance with contrasting whitish markings,
* strongly defined twin postdiscal insignia, usually with a distinct white discal spot,
* hindwing with white subtornal spot weakly defined
* tornal patch usually black and white, sometimes brown and white
* thorax above brown, sometimes tending black and never paler than the abdomen
* a central inverted pale U or V shaped marking usual distinct
* thoracic shoulder (anterior to forewings) never white,
* abdominal dorsal midline with a black line running full length,
* 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.
Photo ID's being checked
Distribution: Queensland and NSW (south to the Mid North Coast, Bellinger River, below Dorrigo Plateau & Hat Head, near Kempsey).
Sighted at Claire Cottage between November & 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 menephron nebulosa is distinquished from all other Australian Psilogramma species in having the following combination of characters:
* head, thorax above brown to blackish,
* forewings with an overall brown or blackish appearance with contrasting whitish markings,
* strongly defined twin postdiscal insignia, usually with a distinct white discal spot,
* hindwing with white subtornal spot weakly defined
* tornal patch usually black and white, sometimes brown and white
* thorax above brown, sometimes tending black and never paler than the abdomen
* a central inverted pale U or V shaped marking usual distinct
* thoracic shoulder (anterior to forewings) never white,
* abdominal dorsal midline with a black line running full length,
* 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 menephron nebulosa
We have found this moth at Claire Cottage on the Dorrigo Plateau.
Distribution: Cape York FNQ south to NSW Mid North Coast (Bellinger River below Dorrigo Plateau and Hat Head nr. Kempsey
Moth Sightings:
Larva Sightings:
Larval food plants:
Breeding season on the Dorrigo Plateau: Thought to be September to April
Flight habit: Nocturnal - Active at night.
Time to light - Dec 2018(2) 2100 hrs.
Adult Moth: Size at rest - tip of thorax to tip of forewing: 65mm
Mature larva: length - 110 mm. Colour form green or green & brown mixed.
Interesting observations: 5th instar P. menephron nebulosa larvae spiracles are dark reddish-brown to black capped white above and below, whereas P. casuarinae 5th instar larvae spiracles are whitish with a thin black central vertical line.
We have found this moth at Claire Cottage on the Dorrigo Plateau.
Distribution: Cape York FNQ south to NSW Mid North Coast (Bellinger River below Dorrigo Plateau and Hat Head nr. Kempsey
Moth Sightings:
- DORRIGO PLATEAU: Nov 2018; Dec 2018 (2); Feb 2018;,
- ELSEWHERE: Wonga Beach FNQ May 2014, Whyanbeel FNQ May 2018
Larva Sightings:
- DORRIGO PLATEAU: None to date
- ELSEWHERE: Cape Tribulation FNQ Jun 2013
Larval food plants:
- DORRIGO PLATEAU:
- ELSEWHERE:
- BIGNONIACEAE - Spathodea campanulata*(African tulip tree),
- OLEACEAE - Chionanthus ramiflorus (Northern Olive)
Breeding season on the Dorrigo Plateau: Thought to be September to April
Flight habit: Nocturnal - Active at night.
Time to light - Dec 2018(2) 2100 hrs.
Adult Moth: Size at rest - tip of thorax to tip of forewing: 65mm
Mature larva: length - 110 mm. Colour form green or green & brown mixed.
Interesting observations: 5th instar P. menephron nebulosa larvae spiracles are dark reddish-brown to black capped white above and below, whereas P. casuarinae 5th instar larvae spiracles are whitish with a thin black central vertical line.