Aenetus ligniveren

Common Splendid Ghost Moth at Karabar, NSW

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Identification history

Aenetus ligniveren	16 Jun 2017	ibaird
Aenetus ligniveren	16 Jun 2017	michaelb
Aenetus ligniveren	15 Jun 2017	ibaird
Hepialidae sp. (family)	15 Jun 2017	AlisonMilton

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User's notes

These photos were taken by Bev Bayley of Queanbeyan and posted on her behalf. Aenetus splendens suggested

2 comments

ibaird wrote:

16 Jun 2017

I suggest A. ligniveren (female), Splendid Ghost Moth.

ibaird wrote:

16 Jun 2017

CSIRO Moths online offers a comparison of the wing patterns of the females between A. ligniveren and A. splendens. Although the wing patterns in these species are described as 'variable' (Moths of Victoria CD Vol ..6), the A ligniveren images (2) on CSIRO Moths show a narrow green 'waist' joining the two large green patches (as in our specimen), whereas the A, splendens image shows the two large green patches are not joined with a 'waist' but are separate and distinct. In addition, the A, splendens image shows two extra small pairs of green spots on each forewing located posterior to the large green patches. The two A. ligniveren images lack these pairs of green spots, as does our specimen. Further, these two pairs of small green spots are very prominent in the only image of an A. splendens female which has been posted on the Atlas of Living Australia website at:
http://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:e10211f3-d355-4466-9a63-32153e1cce4b#gallery Our specimen lacks these two pairs of green spots.

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