Moths (Lepidoptera)

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Useful references:

CSIRO's Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC) - Australian Moths Online
Don Herbison-Evans web pages:
- Moths of Australia
- Australian caterpillars and their butterflies and moths

In the notes provided about individual species, semi-technical terms are sometimes used. They are briely explained below.

Labial palpi. These are paired appendages extending from the lower part of the head, on either side of the proboscis. They provide important information about the family of the moth.

Parts of a moth’s wing:

Costa: The leading edge of the wing

Inner margin: The trailing edge of the wing

Termen: The outer margin of the wing, connecting the costa to the inner margin

Apex: The leading tip of the wing, where the costa and termen meet

Tornus: The trailing corner of the wing, where the termen and inner margin meet

Cilia. Long hairy scales along an edge of the wing

Moths (Lepidoptera)

Anthelid moths (Anthelidae)

Case moths (Psychidae)

Concealer moths (Oecophoridae)

Curved-horn moths (all Gelechioidea except Oecophoridae)

Emperor moths (Saturniidae)

Geometer moths (Geometridae)

Hawk moths (Sphingidae)

Noctuoid moths (except Arctiinae)

Pyralid or Snout Moths (Pyralidae & Crambidae)

Sun moths (Castniidae)

Swift and Ghost moths (Hepialidae)

Tiger moths (Arctiinae)

Tortricid moths (Tortricidae)

Wood moths (Cossidae)

Other moths

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Discussion

Steff wrote:

3 hrs ago

Hi @donhe
I'm not sure what kind of tree it fell from as it was on the windscreen of the car, but it's probably from the trees growing at the Tura Headland walking trail.
There is no chance of me rearing one of these as I saw this 6 years ago and I have no knowledge what it was let alone of how to rear it. I would not take an unknown creature from the wild.

Geometridae (family) IMMATURE

Hejor1 wrote:

3 hrs ago

@donhe unfortunately not. It was alone in the middle of a wooden board walk, so I suppose it could have been feeding on fungi/lichen. I'm not at all confident about that though.

Lepidoptera unclassified IMMATURE

Hejor1 wrote:

3 hrs ago

@ibaird it was in a web so certainly not the most intact.

Lymantriinae (subfamily)

donhe wrote:

5 hrs ago

The base of the haustellum does not appear to be scaly and there are no upturned palps, so not Gelechioidea

Elachista (genus)

donhe wrote:

5 hrs ago

@Hejor1 : any idea what it was feeding on ?