Insects
Moths (Lepidoptera)
Geometer moths (Geometridae)
Sighting 3387205

Melanodes anthracitaria

Black Geometrid at Flynn, ACT

Melanodes anthracitaria at Flynn, ACT - 16 Oct 2012 12:00 AM
Melanodes anthracitaria at Flynn, ACT - 16 Oct 2012 12:00 AM
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Identification history

Melanodes anthracitaria 14 Dec 2017 ibaird
Melanodes anthracitaria 14 Dec 2017 ibaird
Unverified 14 Dec 2017 Christine

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4 comments

Christine wrote:
   15 Dec 2017
Thank you Ian.
donhe wrote:
   15 Dec 2017
Merlin Crossley obtained eggs from females of both the black and the banded forms, so the colour forms are not sexual dimorphism, see
http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/naco/anthracitaria.html
Curiously: their caterpillars are dimorphic also, and their colour forms appear unrelated to the adult colour forms.
ibaird wrote:
   15 Dec 2017
OK, interesting. I stand corrected. I was going on Moths Victoria Part 5 which apparently labelled the two forms as male and female on their supporting disc describing the species.
ibaird wrote:
   15 Dec 2017
Don, Yes, there is no doubt re. the white-banded form. Common (1990) says at p. 367 in Moths of Australia: 'the adults usually lack the whitish band on the wiings'.

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