Onycodes traumataria
Small Twisted Moth at Cotter River, ACT
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| Onycodes traumataria | GlennCocking | 17 Feb 2019 | |
| Onycodes traumataria | GlennCocking | 12 Feb 2019 | |
| Unverified | HarveyPerkins | 12 Feb 2019 |
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User's notes
Folded wingspan ca 30 mm. When I finally approached too close, it fell like a fallen leaf to the ground. I suspect it would have stayed there to complete the deception, except it landed in water at the edge of the stream so took off very quickly!
6 comments
12 Feb 2019
I think Onycodes rubra is a better match to the forewing shape, but the system will not allow me to suggest a missing species.
13 Feb 2019
I suggested the other Onycodes, but now I'm not so sure - will check further
13 Feb 2019
I see on BOLD that some of the Onycodes traumataria have limited dark markings, and the pinker forewing costa like this specimen, but O. rubra has the larger wingspan like 4197339.
13 Feb 2019
To me, the wing shape, particularly the curvature of the leading edge of the forewing; and the colouring and pattern, are more like the ALA image for rubra than for traumataria (says the complete non-expert!)
13 Feb 2019
Yes the forward curvature of the forewing looks more like O. rubra as seen on the ALA, although this specimen has more tick marks (i.e. 3) on the outer forewing edge than for O. rubra (usually only one) as shown on the ALA. Warrants comparison with set specimens at ANIIC as Glenn suggests, I think.
18 Feb 2019
Onycodes traumataria is from medium to high altitude wet forest such as at Smokers Gap and in the mountains of NSW generally. O. rubra is mainly from mountainous areas north of the ACT as far as the Atherton tableland, and extending to the coast in S Qld and NSW. The wing patterns – both dark marks and base colour - are variable in both O. traumataria and O. rubraria , and I can find no consistent difference. But the species do differ in shape of apex of forewing and in the colour of the forewing costa and colour of top of head. O. traumataria males have a falcate apex and O. rubraria do not (both species have this feature in the females). O. traumataria males have a broad pink band just inside the costa whereas in O. rubraria this area is the same colour as the rest of the forewing or whiteish. O. rubraria have a white scales at the top of the head, between the antennae, whereas in O. traumataria this area is colourful (although the adjacent “collar” at the front of the thorax is often white.) The CNM records are therefore O. traumataria (as are some other recent photos from the Brindabellas that I have seen).
Location information
- Coordinates 148.868924-35.538932
- Maps Namadgi National Park
- Places Cotter River, ACT
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- 10 Feb 2019 03:07 PM Recorded on
- HarveyPerkins Recorded by
- 25mm to 50mm Animal size
Collections
- Insects Moths (Lepidoptera) Geometer moths (Geometridae) HarveyPerkins Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Onycodes traumataria
Species information
- Onycodes traumataria Scientific name
- Small Twisted Moth Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- 760.25m to 1008.3m Recorded at altitude
- External link More information
Record quality
Quality score
4 / 7
- Images or audio
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Description
- Additional attributes
- More than one media file
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location