1 Unidentified IMMATURE Swift or Ghost Moth at Kambah, ACT
Identification history
| Hepialidae (family) IMMATURE | 5 Nov 2021 | donhe | ||
| Hepialidae (family) IMMATURE | 5 Nov 2021 | ibaird | ||
| Unverified | 5 Nov 2021 | HelenCross |
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User's notes
Would you like this one reared to mothhood @donhe ?
14 comments
HelenCross
wrote:
5 Nov 2021
Thanks Roger - a ghost moth caterpillar! And it did throw itself into violent contortions when I picked it up - although I didn't see/hear any snapping of jaws :)
RogerF
wrote:
5 Nov 2021
I'm not sure if it is fresh plant feeder as the one I found was living in compost and could have been a detritus feeder.
HelenCross
wrote:
5 Nov 2021
OK, it was crawling along in the grass and seemed to be tasting the grass leaves but not eating them
RogerF
wrote:
5 Nov 2021
Maybe it was looking for a spot to pupate or the rain filled its tunnel with water
donhe
wrote:
5 Nov 2021
It would be great if you can rear it to moth-hood to get the species, but I suspect it was disoriented due to an infection.
donhe
wrote:
5 Nov 2021
Yeah: caterpillars get infected with viruses and bacteria just like we do, with flu, measles, etc (probably not covid), and they don't have a GP to go to, to get antibiotics.
donhe
wrote:
6 Nov 2021
Yes. Most Hepialidae larvae are innately programmed to burrow into something, and to pupate in their burrow. They do not normally walk about in broad daylight where any passing bird can pick them off.
Location information
- Coordinates 149.029669-35.388111
- Altitude 618.8m
- Maps Lions Youth Haven - Westwood Farm A.C.T.
- Places Kambah, ACT
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- 5 Nov 2021 12:45 PM Recorded on
- HelenCross Recorded by
-
Collections
HelenCross Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Hepialidae (family) IMMATURE Swift and Ghost moths (Hepialidae) Moths (Lepidoptera) Insects
Additional information
- 50mm or larger Animal size
- Larvae Breeding behaviour
Species information
- Hepialidae (family) IMMATURE Scientific name
- Unidentified IMMATURE Swift or Ghost Moth Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 966.1m Recorded at altitude
- External link More information
Record quality
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Additional attributes