Moths
 
NOCTUOIDEA 
  
NOTODONTIDAE
  
LYMANTRIIDAE
Brown Tussock Moth
Painted Pine Moth
White Tussock Moth 
 
ARCTIIDAE
Magpie Moth
Heliotrope Moth
Lichen Moth
Orange Spotted Tiger 1
Orange Spotted Tiger 2
Triangular Tiger Moth
 
AGANAIDAE
Yellow Tiger Moth
 
NOCTUIDAE
Transverse Moth  
Native Budworm  
CATOCALINAE 
ACRONICTINAE
Lawn Armyworm
Lily Caterpillar
 

                                               

Owl Moths - Subfamily CATOCALINAE

This page contains pictures and information about Owl Moths that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
 
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The caterpillars in this subfamily are usually smooth and lack of hairs. Some of them have prolegs of segments 3, or 3 and 4 missing and known as semi-looper, move in looping fashion.
 
Moths in this subfamily are usually medium to large in size. Most of them have robust body and broad wings. Some of the them have brightly coloured hind wings which are normally covered. Some other have eye-shaped patterns on their wings.
 

 
White Banded Noctuid Moth I
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Donuca rubropicta, wingspan 70mm
This moth is brown in colour with bright red abdomen. There are the eye marks on both forewings. There are two white strips across the forewings and hind wings. We found a few times this moth hiding on a tree trunk near the floor during the day. More information and pictures please click here.
 
 
White Banded Noctuid Moth II
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Donuca orbigera, wingspan 50mm
This White Banded Noctuid Moths are quite common in the Alexandra Hill Bushland and Karawatha Forest during late summer. In day time they hide among grasses or on tree trunk near the ground. When disturbed, they quickly fly away to another spot few meters away. They have the eye-spots and teeth pattern on the upper side of their wings, resemble a big mouth predator. More pictures and information please visit this page.
 
 
Erebus Moth
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Erebus terminitincta, wingspan 100mm
We saw this moth once during late summer in Yugarapul Park, while we were looking for dragonflies on Bulimba Creek. The moth was hiding at the overhanging bank of the creek. The moth  flied with a slow and fluttering pattern. Click here for more information and pictures.
  

 
Croton Caterpillar
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Achaea janata, length 70mm, adult wingspan 70mm
The caterpillar was found resting and covering along a stem, where the caterpillar mimicking part of the stem. When we came closer to take photos, it dropped to the ground. We found it on the ground among the plant materials and brought it home with those leaves it feeding on. More information please click here.
  
 
Cotton Looper Moth
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Anomis flava, body length 20mm
Picture taken late summer in our backyard on the Hibiscus plants. The moth is golden yellow in colour with brown pattern. The caterpillar is green with white bands between segments. The caterpillar move in looper style, although it is not in GEOMETRIDAE family. 
 
 
Tricolour Noctuid Moth
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Oxyodes tricolor, wingspan 30mm
This moth was hiding under the plants materials on the forest floor during the day in Alexandra Hill. There are the white dots, resemble eye-spots pattern on their front wings. The pattern is different among individuals. Some are even have the white line across their wings. The hidden hind wings are half orange-yellow and half black, normally covered. Click here for more pictures and information.
 

 
Sugarcane Looper
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Mocis frugalis, wingspan 40mm
When we walked across the Eucalyptus forest in Alexandra Hill, we often saw many of this moths. They hide among the grasses on the forest floor. When disturbed, they flied to a meter away, and hind again in the grasses. Their caterpillars are pale green or brown in colour, feed on various grasses and Sugarcane.
 
 
Triple-barred Moth
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Mocis trifasciata, wingspan 40mm 
The moth is is brown in colour with three darker bands across each forewing.
 
 
Mocis Moth
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Mocis sp. ?, caterpillar length 50mm, wingspan 40mm
In late winter, we found this caterpillar on a tall grass in Wishart bushland. We collected it home with some grasses. One day later, it pupated on a grass leaf. Two week later it become a brown moth. This moth is quite common in Brisbane bushland. They usually rest on the plants materials on the ground during the day time. More pictures and information please click here
 
 

 
Triangular-striped Moth
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Chalciope mygdon, body length 20mm
We cannot find this moth in the Australia reference information. From the information in the internet, this moth found in east Asia. Most pictures show this moth rested on Lantana plant. This moth could be an introduced species.
 
 
White-striped Yellow Noctuid
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Fodina contigua, body length 25mm
We found this Noctuid Moth once. It was resting on ground in Yugarapul Park during early summer. Its hind wings are orange-yellow in colour, covered under forewings.
 
 
Rectangular-striped Noctuid Moth
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Grammodes justa, wingspan 40mm
The moth is dark brown with two parallel white lines across forewings and hindwings. 
 
 
Rectangular-striped Noctuid Moth with round eye patterns
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Grammodes ocellata, wingspan 40mm
This moth look similar as the species above except with eye spot on each forewing. Pictures taken on a suburban street in early summer.
 
 
Rectangular-striped Noctuid Moth with small eye patterns
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Grammodes oculicola, wingspan 30mm
The above pictures show the moths hiding near the floor under thick plants cover in the forest during the day. This moth look similar to the above species, with smaller body size, paler brown colour and smaller eyespots. 
 

 
Noctuid Moth
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Diatenes aglossoides, wingspan 40mm
The Moths is dark brown with complex pattern wings. It rested on the wall outside our house. Caterpillar feeds on Acacia, pupates on hole or under loose bark of host tree.
 
 
Poinciana Looper Moth
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Pericyma cruegeri, wingspan 40mm
The moth is brown in colour, with complex pattern of lines and patches. The caterpillar is long and green in colour. The moth is attracted to window light. We took the above pictures on the wall and fence outside our house. Caterpillar is a semi-looper and pale green in colour, feeds on Poinciana (Delonix regia).
 

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Last updated: May 01, 2005.