A Guide to Australian MothsPaul Zborowski, Ted Edwards Moths are often thought of as the ugly cousins of butterflies, yet their colours can be just as remarkable and, with over 20,000 species in Australia, their biology and lifestyles are far more diverse. With striking colour photographs of live moths in their natural habitat, this guide illustrates all the major moth families in Australia, including some rarely seen species. It provides many curious facts about the unusual aspects of moth biology, including details on day-flying species, camouflage, moths that mimic wasps, larvae with stinging hairs, and larvae that have gills. This easy-to-read book includes sections on the iconic Witjuti grubs, Bogong moths, the giant-tailed Hercules moths of northern Queensland (one of the largest moths in the world, with a wingspan of over 25 cm), moths that release hydrocyanic acid in their defence, and moths that produce ultrasonic calls that bats learn to associate with a bad taste. A Guide to Australian Moths highlights the environmental role of moths, their relationships with other animals and plants, and their importance to humans. It provides a unique introduction to the extraordinary diversity of moths found in Australia. |
Contents
Cossidae Wood Moths | |
The Witjuti Grub | |
Cossids and cockatoos | |
Dudgeoneidae | |
Tortricidae Bell Moths Leaf Rollers | |
Castniidae Sun Moths | |
Brachodidae | |
Sesiidae Clearwing Moths | |
How long do moths live? | |
Why are particular moths found in some places and not others? | |
Have any moths become extinct? | |
What use are moths? | |
Why study moths? | |
IDENTIFYING THE MOTH FAMILIES | |
Micropterigidae | |
Agathiphagidae | |
Hepialidae Swift Moths Ghost Moths | |
Nepticulidae | |
Opostegidae | |
Heliozelidae | |
Adelidae Fairy Moths | |
Palaephatidae | |
Psychidae Case Moths Bag Moths | |
Tineidae Clothes or Wool Moths | |
Clothes moths and meal moths | |
Galacticidae | |
Roeslerstammiidae | |
Bucculatricidae | |
Scribbly Gum Moths | |
Gracillariidae | |
Yponomeutidae | |
Argyresthiidae | |
Plutellidae | |
Glyphipterigidae | |
THE GELECHIOID FAMILIES | |
Scat Moths | |
The Goldenshouldered Parrot Moth | |
Leaflitter moths | |
Xyloryctidae | |
Hypertrophidae | |
Depressariidae | |
Elachistidae | |
Ethmiidae | |
Blastobasidae | |
Cosmopterigidae | |
Gelechiidae | |
Lecithoceridae | |
Scythrididae | |
Choreutidae | |
Zygaenidae Foresters | |
Lacturidae | |
Limacodidae Cup Moths | |
Epipyropidae | |
Cyclotornidae | |
Immidae | |
Copromorphidae | |
Carposinidae | |
Epermeniidae | |
Tineodidae | |
Alucitidae Manyplume Moths | |
Pterophoridae Plume Moths | |
Hyblaeidae | |
Thyrididae Leaf Moths | |
Pyralidae | |
Aquatic moths | |
Geometridae Loopers Inchworms | |
Drepanidae | |
Uraniidae | |
THE BOMBYCOID FAMILIES | |
Anthelidae | |
Eupterotidae | |
Bombycidae | |
Carthaeidae | |
Saturniidae Emperor Moths | |
Which is the largest moth? | |
Pollination | |
Sphingidae Hawk Moths | |
THE NOCTUOID FAMILIES | |
Notodontidae | |
Hairy caterpillars and skin rashes | |
Lymantriidae Tussock Moths | |
Arctiidae Tiger Moths | |
Aganaidae | |
Herminiidae | |
Nolidae | |
Noctuidae | |
Migration | |
The Bogong Moth | |
GLOSSARY | |
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Common terms and phrases
Acacia antennae held back antennae simple Arctiidae Atherton Tableland Australian species back along leading bark biology bogong moth Brisbane butterflies Cape York Peninsula caterpillars Catocalinae cocoon Cooktown cossid day-flying edge of wing eggs Ennominae eucalypt eucalypt forests female flowers foodplant found in rainforest genus grey Guinea habitats hairs hairy head wings held hearing organs hepialids Ian Common insects known larvae larvae feed leading edge leaf litter leaves light male medium-sized to large migration Nepticulidae night Noctuidae northern Australia Northern Territory Oecophoridae overseas palpi pectinate pest Photo predators proboscis protruding pupa pupal shell pupate Pyralidae Queensland Queensland south reared related species rest antennae Saturniidae scales shelter silk silken small moth smooth head wings South Wales southern New South southern Queensland species in Australia species worldwide stage Subfamily Subfamily Oecophorinae Tasmania throughout Australia top end Townsville trees tropical usually Victoria wasps Western Australia wing at rest wings held roof-wise