Insects
Moths (Lepidoptera)
Geometer moths (Geometridae)
Sighting 3386005

Dichromodes atrosignata

Black-signed Heath Moth at Booth, ACT

Dichromodes atrosignata at Booth, ACT - 1 Nov 2017 01:23 PM
Dichromodes atrosignata at Booth, ACT - 1 Nov 2017 01:23 PM
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Identification history

Dichromodes atrosignata 28 Nov 2017 GlennCocking
Dichromodes atrosignata 27 Nov 2017 ibaird
Unverified 27 Nov 2017 SWishart

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6 comments

ibaird wrote:
   28 Nov 2017
While this specimen has faint markings and is not nearly so strongly marked as the other D. atrosignata specimens posted already on CNM, its within the range of variation for this species illustrated on the supporting discs for Moths of Victoria, Part 4.
donhe wrote:
   28 Nov 2017
The lines look too smooth compared with the photos at the Atlas of Australia:
https://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:b831ff7d-e0c5-4ded-9163-1c35eb2c56b6#gallery
Does the male have lines that are less curvy than the female,
or is this, say, Antasia flavicapitata ?
ibaird wrote:
   28 Nov 2017
Not sure about the curviness of the lines. I looked closely at A. flavicapata but ruled it out because there is clearly no yellow head which both the males and females of that species show in all cases I saw. The Victorian examples of faintly marked A atrosignata (on supporting disc) I referred to are very close to this specimen.
ibaird wrote:
   28 Nov 2017
There is one specimen on the ALA which looks very similar and even more faintly marked from western Victoria on the ALA see at:
https://biocache.ala.org.au/occurrences/ef1440f8-5ccb-4230-81ae-9dd5f0e26c4e
for which Ken Harris has noted 'Female Black-signed Heath-moth - Dichromodes atrosignata'.
GlennCocking wrote:
   29 Nov 2017
Males of D. atrosignata do differ from the females, and this photo lies within the variability of the males. Antasia flaviacapitata has a similar forewing pattern except that the inner light transverse line (1/4 from base) is outlined in black on the outside in D. atrosignata and in this photo, and on the inside in A. flavicapitata. And as noted above, flavicapitita has a lingt head whereas it is dark in atrosignata.
ibaird wrote:
   29 Nov 2017
Yes, thanks. I also noted the difference between outlining colours of the inner transverse line when comparing these two, but neglected to mention that feature!

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