Pararguda nasuta
Wattle Snout Moth at Amaroo, ACT
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| Pararguda nasuta | donhe | 9 Aug 2023 | |
| Pararguda nasuta | chriselidie | 9 Aug 2023 |
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User's notes
A caterpillar that I took in last year, just before it formed a cocoon. The adult (photo 4 and 5) and cocoon looked like that of the Pararguda nasuta specimens that I had reared before. The caterpillar looked quite different than the bright green ones I had earlier (sighting 4434365).
4 comments
9 Aug 2023
Congratulations on the successful rearing. The difference in larval colours is interesting, suggesting that the same name is being applied to two different species.
9 Aug 2023
Thanks donhe, this is one I've had my eye on for a while. And yes, it does seem like there are several colour variations. I reared the caterpillars in sighting 4434365 from a clutch of six eggs, which led to four green ones and two brown-red ones. They all turned green at the last stage though, I think. But the caterpillar in this sighting is grey, and I've seen this type a few times. This one always appears larger as it squashes itself really flat. Never saw the green ones get quite that flat.
9 Aug 2023
It is also possible that there is sexual dimorphism. Have you noted any relationship between the colours of the larvae and the sexes of the adults?
9 Aug 2023
Yes, I thought of that too. As noted above, of the six caterpillars from the one clutch of eggs (previous sighting) four were green and two red-brown initially, all were green by the time of pupation; the outcome was four males and two females - so this may be sex related. The grey caterpillar in this sighting was male, and that was the only one of this type that I was able to rear.
Since there were both green and grey males, the different colouring does not strike me to be sex dependent.
Since there were both green and grey males, the different colouring does not strike me to be sex dependent.
Location information
- Places Amaroo, ACT
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- chriselidie Recorded by
- Acacia Associated plant
- None. Associated animal
- 25mm to 50mm Animal size
- Male Gender
- Alive / healthy Animal health
Collections
- chriselidie Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Pararguda nasuta Other moths Moths (Lepidoptera) Insects
Species information
- Pararguda nasuta Scientific name
- Wattle Snout Moth Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 1523.04m Recorded at altitude
- External link More information
Record quality
Quality score
6 / 7
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- Description
- Additional attributes
- GPS evidence of location