| Cosmodes elegans | |
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| Species: | C. elegans |
| Binomial name | |
| Cosmodes elegans (Donovan, 1805) | |
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Cosmodes elegans, the green blotched moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in New South Wales, Norfolk Island, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia and New Zealand.
This species was first described by Edward Donovan in 1805 under the name Phalaena elegans. [2] [1] Robert Hoare was unable to locate the type specimen for his 2017 publication. [1]
Donovan originally described the species as follows:
First wings ferruginous, with three greenish spots edged with silver, the anterior one hooked : posterior wings reddish. [2]
The caterpillars of this species grow to a length of about 3 cm and are bright green with dark spiracles on both sides. [3] Adult moths are brown with sinuous green markings on their forewings, white hindwings fading to light brown along the edges, and a hairy crest just behind their heads. [4] The adult's wingspan is about 40 mm. [5] The green blotched moth has a distinctively shaped forewing and this and the characteristic patterns on its forewings ensures that this species is unlikely to be confused with any other. [1]
The green blotched moth is native to Australia, although it sometimes arrives in New Zealand as a migrant or vagrant during the summer establishing temporary colonies. [1] The adult moth lives in forest clearings from January to May and this is where its larvae cocoons among the foliage of its preferred food source. [1] [6]
This species is on the wing throughout the year but in New Zealand is more frequently recorded during the months of February to April. [1]
The larvae feed on Lobelia species, Verbena species and Wahlenbergia species. [1]
Chrysodeixis eriosoma, the green garden looper, known in New Zealand as the Silver Y, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. Mostly cosmopolitan in distribution, it is a pest in Japan, China, India, Sri Lanka, the Malay Peninsula and Australasia. It is present in Hawaii and recorded as an incursion in mainland North America and Russia. It is morphologically identical to Chrysodeixis chalcites and the two may be sibling species.
Proteuxoa sanguinipuncta is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and south Western Australia. It is also present in New Zealand where it was first recorded in 2007.
Phalaenoides glycinae, the Australian grapevine moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae that is native to southeastern Australia. The species was first described by John Lewin in 1805.
Epicoma tristis, the dark epicoma, is a moth of the family Notodontidae first described by Edward Donovan in 1805. It is found in Australia.
Leuroperna sera is a moth of the family Plutellidae first described by Edward Meyrick in 1885. It is found in Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, and New Zealand.
Condica dolorosa is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in the Indo-Australian tropics, including Borneo, Hawaii, Hong Kong, India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Queensland in Australia.
Cizara ardeniae, the coprosma hawk moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by John Lewin in 1805.
Coequosa triangularis, the double-headed hawk moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae.
Gesonia obeditalis is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae first described by Francis Walker in 1859. It is found from eastern Africa, the Seychelles, the Maldives and the Oriental tropics of India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka east to the Philippines, the Sula Islands and Australia. The adult moth has brown wings with a scalloped dark brown band near the margin. The hindwings are similar in pattern to the forewings but are a paler shade of brown.
Physetica phricias is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is wide spread in the South Island and inhabits shrubland. The host of the larvae of this species is matagouri. The adult moths are on the wing from September to May and July, and are attracted both to light and sugar traps.They are a faster-flying species and remain active even during windy conditions. P. phricias can be confused with some forms of P. sequens. However P. phricias can be distinguished as it has a less marbled appearance to its forewing.
Meterana pictula is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. This species has been classified as "At Risk, Declining" by the Department of Conservation.
Proteuxoa comma is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It can be found in the lower half of the North Island and throughout the South Island, although it appears to be more frequent on the eastern side of these islands, and also is present in Stewart Island. P. comma is very similar in appearance to P. tetronycha but can be distinguished as it is a larger moth with slightly different colouration on, as well as shape of, its forewings. This species pupates in the soil. The adult moths are on the wing from December to April. P. comma may possibly be declining in population and as at 2017 a reassessment of its conservation status is regarded as being needed.
Physetica caerulea is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found from the centre of the North Island south, including the South and Stewart Islands. The adult moths are variable in appearance but can be distinguished by the bluish tinge to the forewings as well as the underside buff colour. However this species does have several forms including a very dark bluish black form, a brownish form and a green-brown form. It lives in open habitats and can be found in tussock grasslands and dunes and can normally be found from altitudes of sea level up to 900 m. Adults of this species are on the wing from August to April. As at 2017, the life history of is unknown as are the host species of its larvae. However it has been hypothesised that the larval host species is a tomentose plant.
Austramathes purpurea is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found throughout the North and South Islands but has yet to be recorded at Stewart Island. It inhabits native forest. This species might possibly be confused with A. pessota, however this latter species does not have the purple hue to the forewings. The larvae of A. purpurea feed primarily on māhoe but have been recorded as feeding on, and have been reared on, narrow-leaved māhoe. The larvae pupate in a silken cocoon on moss covered ground. Adults can be found on the wing during the months of March to January but mainly occur during New Zealand's late autumn, winter, and spring. Light trapping may not be the most efficient technique for collecting this species.
Austramathes fortis is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in both the North and the South Islands but has yet to be recorded at Stewart Island. It can be found in shrubland containing its host species at a range of altitudes from sea-level up to 1840 m. The larvae of this moth feed on several Melicytus species including M. crassifolius, M. alpinus, M. macrophyllus and M. novae-zelandiae. The larvae pupate in a cocoon of silk at the base of its host plant. It can take between 25 and 45 days before the adult moth emerges. Adults can be found on the wing during the months of July to March. The adults tend to be on the wing in twilight hours but have also been known to be active during the late afternoon. They are attracted to light but this behaviour may limit the number seen at light traps. The distinguishing feature of this moth is the curved black line at the base of its forewing. This species is unlikely to be confused with any other species in its range but it is very similar in appearance to A. squaliolus. However this latter species is only found on the Chatham Islands.
Austramathes pessota is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in Northland, in the southern North Island and in the South Island, mainly on the eastern side of that island but is also present in Fiordland. It is not regarded as being present in either Dunedin or the Southland district. This species lives in shrubland at altitudes ranging from sea-level up to subalpine. As at 2017, the larvae have yet to be described or photographed but it is known that they feed on Melicytus alpinus and it is likely that Melicytus micranthus is also a host. Adults of this species are distinctively patterned and coloured. Its appearance differs from its close relatives such as A. purpurea as it lacks the purple hue that can be seen on the latter species forewings. It also differs from A. coelacantha as it is much darker and has a distinctive small, round, pale mark on its forewing. Adults are on the wing from December to April.
Austramathes squaliolus is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found only in the Chatham Islands on the Chatham, Pitt, Little Mangere and Rangatira Islands. The larvae of A. squaliolus is similarly patterned to the larvae of A. fortis and have lateral yellow markings that contrast with the dark dorsal marbling. However this marbling is darker in A. squaliolus in comparison to the lighter coloured A. fortis. Melicytus chathamicus is the larval host-plant for this species. The adult moth is again very similar in appearance to A. fortis and, as with A. fortis, the black line curved at the forewing base is the distinguishing feature. However the two species are unlikely to be confused as their ranges do not overlap. The adult moths are on the wing in November and December and have been observed flying at dusk.
Austramathes coelacantha is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the central and east of the South Island. It lives in shrubland in inland areas as well as in Southern beech forest at subalpine altitudes. The life history of this species is unknown as are the host species of its larvae. However the larval host-plants may be species within the genus of Melicytus. Adult moths are on the wing during the months of January to March. They are attracted to light and appear to be active later in the evening, and not at twilight.
Proteuxoa tetronycha is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic, and can be found throughout, New Zealand. This species was previously muddled up with the rarer Proteuxoa comma and is very similar in appearance to that other species. P. tetronycha can be distinguished from P. comma by the paler colour of its prothorax as well as the browner base colour of its forewings. P. tetronycha is also a smaller moth with the wingspan of the adults of this species being between 29 and 33 mm. There are also differences between the females of these two species. For the females of P. tetronycha, their ovipositor is lacking the spiny hair like structures that are present on the ovipositor of P. comma. Larvae likely feed on a variety of host species and have been raised on Acaena species as well as Poa cita. The adults of this species are on the wing from September to March and are attracted to light.
Physetica sequens is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found throughout the North and South Islands. It appears to be more common in the North Island than the South Island, and lives in open native shrublands, peatlands, Northland gumland, inland volcanic dunes, and Dracophyllum-dominated areas at altitudes that range from sea level to the alpine zone, up to at least 1600 m. Larvae of this species have been successfully reared on Leucopogon fasciculatus and Leptecophylla juniperina. The adults of this species are variable in appearance and are on the wing from September to March. P. sequens is similar in appearance to P. phricias but can be distinguished as P. phricias has a narrow black line along the dorsum of its forewing that P. sequens does not. P. sequens is also similar in appearance to P. cucullina however the forewing dorsum area of P. sequens does not have the narrow black line that is frequently present on P. cucullina forewings.
