Androchela newmannaria

Newman's Cape-moth at Kambah, ACT

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Identification history

Androchela newmannaria	4 May 2019	GlennCocking
Androchela newmannaria	18 Apr 2019	donhe
Geometridae (family) IMMATURE	17 Apr 2019	MichaelMulvaney
Androchela (genus)	6 Apr 2019	DPRees125

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Significant sighting

MichaelMulvaney noted:

4 May 2019

ist Canberra Nature Map record of this species - ALA only have Tasmanian and Victoria locations

3 comments

ibaird wrote:

18 Apr 2019

I suggest this moth is certainly placed in Geometridae but most likely in the diverse sub-family Nacorphorini generally known as Cape-moths. I think this moth most likely falls within the genus Amelora or Androchela. Moths of Victoria (Part 5) stress that moths in this genera are highly variable and the taxonomy is uncetain and needs work especially for mainland i.e (non-Tasmainian) species. This moth has relatively large diffuse wing spots on the forewing and shows general patterning consistent with images of Androchela milvaria (Four-spot Cape-moth). However it also shows a band (a darker shade of grey) at the trailing edge of the forewing - a characteristic shown in an illustration of a female specimen of the very similar looking A. newmannaria . There do not seem to be pectinations shown on the antennae of the above specimen, so it could very well be a female. Therefore, given the above, I think DPRees suggestion of Androchela sp. for this specimen is a reasonable one.

donhe wrote:

18 Apr 2019

Androchela milvaria does not seem to have the angled margin of A. newmannaria, which this specimen shows.

GlennCocking wrote:

5 May 2019

The apparent band on the termen of the fw that Ian points out, and the apparent angle in the termen that Don points out, do suggest Androchela neumannaria. On the other hand, the shape of the main forewing line is more irregular than the A. neumannaria specimens that I've seen (but they are variable), and those specimens are dark grey rather than brown. ANIC doesn't have any ACT specimens of A. newmannaria, but it is widespread so an ACT record is credible. I think we should put it under A. newmannaria pending more reports. It is less like Androchela milvaria and an Amelora sp which are the species which have been most often recorded on Black Mountain.

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