Psilogramma papuensis
We have not found this moth at Claire Cottage or on the Dorrigo Plateau.
Distribution: Cape York Peninsula south through the Wet Tropics to Mackay & Eungella (west of Mackay)
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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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Psilogramma papuensis - description (as published in 'Hawkmoths of Australia', Maxwell Moulds, James Tuttle, David Lane: 2020).
Psilogramma papuensis is distinguished from all other Australian Psilogramma species by the following combination of characters:
* head and thorax above light grey;
* forewing with 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 mid-line clearly marked black,
* discal spot often white,
* checkered fringe along outer margin usually with white sections longer than black ones.
Of the seven Psilogramma species P. papuensis is generally considered the largest. Male forewings measure 48-52mm, females 62-72mm.
We have not found this moth at Claire Cottage or on the Dorrigo Plateau.
Distribution: Cape York Peninsula south through the Wet Tropics to Mackay & Eungella (west of Mackay)
******************************************************************************************
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.
*****************************************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************************************
Psilogramma papuensis - description (as published in 'Hawkmoths of Australia', Maxwell Moulds, James Tuttle, David Lane: 2020).
Psilogramma papuensis is distinguished from all other Australian Psilogramma species by the following combination of characters:
* head and thorax above light grey;
* forewing with 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 mid-line clearly marked black,
* discal spot often white,
* checkered fringe along outer margin usually with white sections longer than black ones.
Of the seven Psilogramma species P. papuensis is generally considered the largest. Male forewings measure 48-52mm, females 62-72mm.
Psilogramma papuensis
We have not found this moth on the Dorrigo Plateau.
Distribution: Cape York Peninsula south through the Wet Tropics to Mackay & Eungella (west of Mackay)
Moth Sightings:
Larva Sightings:
Larval food plants:
Breeding season on the Dorrigo Plateau: Not applicable.
Flight habit: Nocturnal - Active at night.
Adult Moth: Size at rest - tip of thorax to tip of forewing: 80mm & tip of forewing horizontally to tip of other forewing: ??mm
Mature larva: length - 95 to 105mm.
Colour form: Final instar: various shades of green to blueish-green sometimes overlaid by dark brownish to blackish markings, abdomen has seven equally spaced white oblique stripes.
Eye Spots: none in this species.
Caudal Horn: backward slanting, varies in colour from light bluish green to entirely black.
Other distinguishing features:
We have not found this moth on the Dorrigo Plateau.
Distribution: Cape York Peninsula south through the Wet Tropics to Mackay & Eungella (west of Mackay)
Moth Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: Not applicable
- DORRIGO PLATEAU: Not applicable
- ELSEWHERE: Wonga Beach, FNQ May 2014, Whyanbeel, FNQ May 2018,
Larva Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: Not applicable
- DORRIGO PLATEAU: Not applicable
- ELSEWHERE: Wonga Beach, FNQ April/May 2014,
Larval food plants:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: None to date
- DORRIGO PLATEAU: None to date
- ELSEWHERE:
- BIGNONIACEAE - Deplanchea tetraphylla (Golden Bouquet Tree), Spathodea campanulata* (African Tulip Tree)
- GENTIANACEAE - Fagraea berteroana, F.cambagei
- LAMIACEAE - Clerodendrum floribundum, C.paniculatum* (Pagoda Flower), C.tracyanum, Gmeilana dalrympleana
Breeding season on the Dorrigo Plateau: Not applicable.
Flight habit: Nocturnal - Active at night.
Adult Moth: Size at rest - tip of thorax to tip of forewing: 80mm & tip of forewing horizontally to tip of other forewing: ??mm
Mature larva: length - 95 to 105mm.
Colour form: Final instar: various shades of green to blueish-green sometimes overlaid by dark brownish to blackish markings, abdomen has seven equally spaced white oblique stripes.
Eye Spots: none in this species.
Caudal Horn: backward slanting, varies in colour from light bluish green to entirely black.
Other distinguishing features: