Cosmodes elegans
Male
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Noctuidae
Genus:
Cosmodes
Species:
C. elegans
Binomial name
Cosmodes elegans
(Donovan, 1805)
Synonyms[1]
  • Phalaena elegans Donovan, 1805

The green blotched moth (Cosmodes elegans) 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.

Taxonomy

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]

Description

The illustration that accompanied the original description of this species.

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]

Habitat

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]

Behaviour

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]

Diet

The larvae feed on Lobelia species, Verbena species and Wahlenbergia species.[1]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cosmodes elegans.
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Hoare, R.J.B. (2017). "Noctuinae (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) part 1: Austramathes, Cosmodes, Proteuxoa, Physetica" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 73: 1–130. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.73 – via Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd.
  2. 1 2 Edward Donovan (1805), Natural history of the insects of New Holland, New Zealand, New Guinea, Otaheite, and other islands in the Indian, Southern, and Pacific oceans, London, pp. plate 36, fig 5. (text overleaf), doi:10.5962/BHL.TITLE.123219, OCLC 13039044, Wikidata Q108292292
  3. ↑ Herbison-Evans, Don (March 15, 2015). "Cosmodes elegans". Australian Caterpillars and their Butterflies and Moths. Archived from the original on 2017-08-09. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Green Blotched Moth (Cosmodes elegans)". OzAnimals.com: Australian Wildlife. Archived from the original on 2008-12-03. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  5. ↑ Don Herbison-Evans & Stella Crossley (October 11, 2008). "Cosmodes elegans". uts.edu.au. Archived from the original on 2008-07-30. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
  6. ↑ "Cosmodes elegans (Green blotched moth)". TERRAIN. Archived from the original on 2017-08-29. Retrieved November 22, 2019.


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