Taxeotis subvelaria

Neat Taxeotis at Paddys River, ACT

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Identification history

Taxeotis subvelaria	23 Nov 2017	ibaird
Taxeotis subvelaria	12 Nov 2017	GlennCocking
Amelora demistis	1 Nov 2017	donhe
Unidentified	1 Nov 2017	JohnBundock

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5 comments

ibaird wrote:

2 Nov 2017

Reference to Moths of Victoria, Part 5 (Marilyn Hewish) reveals a larva of T. demistis was collected on Black Mt on Dillwynia ericifolia. The single spot in the female's forewing can be much larger and prominent and also much smaller and faint. Supporting pdf files provide keys to the several variable species in the genus, some being challenging to idenfify. A second Amelora sp, sporting an oval wing spot instead of solid wing spot has also been recorded on Black Mt.

GlennCocking wrote:

12 Nov 2017

The fw termen and apex in this photo don't seem to have the characteristic "point" of demistis. The three rows of black dots on the outer fw more suggest Taxeotis than Amelora. The photo is consistent with Taxeotis subvelaria (reserata is a synonym according to AFD), but it could be another species. (Some sublevaria spec have a more prominent spot than the MoV reserata photo)

ibaird wrote:

12 Nov 2017

Yes, agreed, looking again at MoV part 5 in restrospect I think you are correct that this is almost certainlly not an Amelora spp.There is some recurved 'point but really not enough to be convincing for A. demistis. However the un-named Amelora sp. are highly variable as documented by the supporting MoV CDs.The single large dot in Amelora varies from bold to faint, but almost never is as small and well defined as in this specimen and Taxeeotis in general. the general lack of two/three rows of black dots in the outer fw in Amelora is particularly telling I think. I could find 3 images of set labelled T. subvelaria on Bold Systems v4 online, but based on that evidence I would be inclined to think T. reserata (as in MoV) - I know they are synonyms, would be just as likely. But of course, I have not seen the range of specimens in the ANIC collection.

donhe wrote:

13 Nov 2017

Donald Hobern's photo of T subvelaria at
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dhobern/3020388876/
has a recurved fore wing tip also.
I suspect the hooks are sex-related.
John's photo seems to me to show scalloping along the forewing margins,
consistent with Amelora, and not with Taxeotis.
But more fundamentally: how does one distinguish Ennominae from Oenochrominae?

GlennCocking wrote:

13 Nov 2017

Common's Moths of Australia separates the Geometridae subfamilies on the basis of wing venation, not very helpful for our photos.

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