Helena Gum Moth at Charleys Forest, NSW
Identification history
| Opodiphthera helena | 8 Mar 2023 | donhe | ||
| Opodiphthera helena | 8 Mar 2023 | ibaird | ||
| Unverified | 8 Mar 2023 | arjay |
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User's notes
I have assumed this is a Helena gum moth. Am I correct? They are currently being savaged by something that isn't necessarily eating them. They end up on the ground full of larvae (I assume fly of some sort).
4 comments
ibaird
wrote:
8 Mar 2023
I have heard gum moths larvae are susceptible to parasitic insect attack by introduced insect species but I have yet to see authoratative research on the topic. Someone reading this may be able to help with a reference. A NZ paper on Polities (genus) wasps shows data saying they have most impact on native Lepidoptera: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10530-022-02739-0
arjay
wrote:
8 Mar 2023
Do you reckon the black spots on my specimen are necrotic? I can photograph the larvae that were in the one I found yesterday. I had assumed they took over once whatever had attacked the moth caterpillar had killed it. But it could be a wasp being (well) just like a wasp.
ibaird
wrote:
8 Mar 2023
I don't know. Quite possibly. The black spots appear to occur randomly on O. helena larvae judging by the photos on CNM.
arjay
wrote:
8 Mar 2023
Just looked at the paper on wasps. That seems to be two species of paper wasp neither of which we have here as far as I know. And actually we don't even have native paper wasps. Also they seem to be wasp species that take larvae home for their offspring to consume rather than wasp species that lay eggs in other animals' larvae. Images of the larvae of the two wasps do not match the larvae in the O. helena that I have.
Location information
- Maps Mongarlowe River
- Places Charleys Forest, NSW
Sighting information
- At least 1 Abundance
- arjay Recorded by
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Collections
arjay Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Opodiphthera helena Emperor moths (Saturniidae) Moths (Lepidoptera) Insects
Additional information
- 50mm or larger Animal size
- Alive / healthy Animal health
Species information
- Opodiphthera helena Scientific name
- Helena Gum Moth Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 1670m Recorded at altitude
- External link More information
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Synonyms
Austrocaligula helena
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