Moth's are an amazing creature combining diverse shape's engineered for flight together with an outer layer of beautiful color combinations, patterns and textures. The Queensland Wet Tropics is home to a significant number of species and in Australia there is an estimated 22000 Lepidoptera, an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths, of which only 400 of these species are butterflies.
Moths are an impressive flying artwork, always showing up in some outrageous outfit after dark, they are engineering marvels, possibly being the most underrated creature on the land mass in Tropical Queensland.
The galleries below are a small sample of specimens in the Wongaling Beach area of the Cassowary Coast Region.
To feature some interesting points of moths, a moth species will be featured each month to describe the topic.
Moths are an impressive flying artwork, always showing up in some outrageous outfit after dark, they are engineering marvels, possibly being the most underrated creature on the land mass in Tropical Queensland.
The galleries below are a small sample of specimens in the Wongaling Beach area of the Cassowary Coast Region.
To feature some interesting points of moths, a moth species will be featured each month to describe the topic.
January Moth.
Pericyma cruegeri, a moth of the family Erebidae, common name Poinciana Looper.
This species is a good example of 'genetic variations' in a group of organisms which give animals a camouflaged appearance to blend in with their environment, this enables some organisms to survive better than others in the area in which they live.
This species is a good example of 'genetic variations' in a group of organisms which give animals a camouflaged appearance to blend in with their environment, this enables some organisms to survive better than others in the area in which they live.
Febuary Moth.
Syntherata species is of the family Saturniidae, common name Emporer moth, it is a velvety large moth to approx. 12cms across the wingspan and a small circular spot on each wing, the species being quite variable in colour and patterns.
Females lay white/pale coloured eggs aprrox. .5 mm in size, in a row, from which yellow caterpillars emerge maturing to olive green feeding on various scrub and rainforest trees.
Unlike many other species, this one does not feed in the moth stage due to the absence of the proboscis, so the lifespan is possibly only measured in one or two weeks. The caterpillar stage was where the energy was stored for the final transformation process into a moth ready for breeding, the only purpose is to breed to begin the cycle of the next generation.
Females lay white/pale coloured eggs aprrox. .5 mm in size, in a row, from which yellow caterpillars emerge maturing to olive green feeding on various scrub and rainforest trees.
Unlike many other species, this one does not feed in the moth stage due to the absence of the proboscis, so the lifespan is possibly only measured in one or two weeks. The caterpillar stage was where the energy was stored for the final transformation process into a moth ready for breeding, the only purpose is to breed to begin the cycle of the next generation.
March Moth
With over 22000 species of moths in Australia, many yet to be named, it is easily possible to find a new species hidden in a Wet Tropics Rainforest. Featured in this months March moth, it is an unknown species.
April Moth.
Diaphania indica, common name Cucumber moth, it is in the family Crambidae. This species is a good example of moths with tufts on the end of their abdomen. The tuft is waved around in a circular motion, females having more of a tuft than males, apparently it is used to emit pheremones.
May moth
In the family Thyrididae, this unique moth is Oxycophina theorina.
Resembling a dried leaf, interestingly if disturbed it flops over unmoving and even lays on its back very still, until any perceived danger has passed when it will resume the normal sitting position. The wing shape is very irregular to the extreme, which it could be considered it might affect flight, however it appears to have good speed but it is difficult to determine how accurate the steering is or endurance lasts. The wing shape and patterns are perhaps best described as resembling dried crinkly leaves, this species is a good example of evolution with regard to structural change.
It is also an interesting species from the perspective that these moths understand that a dried leaf doesn't move of its own accord and they mimic this as a strategy of defense, which is an interesting insight into what they think and how they perceive the environment around them and utilize it to their own advantage.
Resembling a dried leaf, interestingly if disturbed it flops over unmoving and even lays on its back very still, until any perceived danger has passed when it will resume the normal sitting position. The wing shape is very irregular to the extreme, which it could be considered it might affect flight, however it appears to have good speed but it is difficult to determine how accurate the steering is or endurance lasts. The wing shape and patterns are perhaps best described as resembling dried crinkly leaves, this species is a good example of evolution with regard to structural change.
It is also an interesting species from the perspective that these moths understand that a dried leaf doesn't move of its own accord and they mimic this as a strategy of defense, which is an interesting insight into what they think and how they perceive the environment around them and utilize it to their own advantage.
June Moth
Newly sighted species for 2021 in gallery below.
2020 collection in lower gallery.
2020 collection in lower gallery.
Butterfly and moth species are being added regularly as sighted, but of course these are not a complete list of which species are in the region, and at best, show a small but interesting sample.
All sightings are within 300m of the beach.
All sightings are within 300m of the beach.
While care is taken to accurately ID creatures on this website, some may be incorrectly labelled or may not have an ID.
Please check ID with another source for verification.
Please check ID with another source for verification.