Dascia sagittifera

4 A Stem Borer moth (Lyonetiidae) at Yarralumla, ACT

Request use of media

Identification history

Dascia sagittifera	2 Oct 2024	donhe
Dascia sagittifera	1 Oct 2024	ibaird
Dascia sp	1 Oct 2024	WendyEM
Tineidae (family)	28 Sep 2024	donhe
Tineidae (family)	28 Sep 2024	DPRees125

Identify this sighting

Please Login or Register to identify this sighting.

User's notes

Large numbers in dried gass and low scrubs, looks like some sort of Tineid moth to me

18 comments

DPRees125 wrote:

29 Sep 2024

A monopis spp. by any chance,...

ibaird wrote:

29 Sep 2024

Yes. I have not found a convincingmatch for this species. More photos of this species from different angles might help with ID.

donhe wrote:

30 Sep 2024

Moerarchis ?

ibaird wrote:

30 Sep 2024

I aven't found a match in eiither Monopis or Moerarchis genus.

DPRees125 wrote:

30 Sep 2024

What angles? while abundant they are not easy to nail

ibaird wrote:

30 Sep 2024

A 3/4 or dorsal view. Are there fine vertical palps in fluff around the mouthparts suggesting Thema (genus]?

DPRees125 wrote:

30 Sep 2024

OK, went back this morning with more gear and obtained better images, if anything there are more of them there today, however very restless when moving close to them,

donhe wrote:

30 Sep 2024

Could you capture one, put it in the fridge for a spell to put it to sleep, then see if it is holding fluffy palps folded up over it head, or is the head really fluffy on top ?

DPRees125 wrote:

30 Sep 2024

Ok will have another look tomorrow

DPRees125 wrote:

30 Sep 2024

Having looked at lots of these live now I can see no evidence of vertical palps

DPRees125 wrote:

30 Sep 2024

having looked at lots of these things alove through the viewfinder I have so far not seen evidence of vertical palps

ibaird wrote:

30 Sep 2024

OK, thanks.

DPRees125 wrote:

1 Oct 2024

Ian, I have a specimen and I have been doing some very close up work to the limit of my gear, including photostacks. I am processing them now and can provide them IDC. what would be the best way to do this.

ibaird wrote:

1 Oct 2024

Thanks, WendyEM. and DPRees125. It looks like this moth matches the species Dascia sagittifera, a Stem Borer moth in the family Lyonetiidae. A new species for NatureMapr and NatureMapr's Canberra and Southern Tablelands region. Excellent photos. Records online suggest thIs moth species is widely distributed but not commonly photographed.

DPRees125 wrote:

1 Oct 2024

Thanks to all for grtting this thing done

WendyEM wrote:

2 Oct 2024

Yes thanks for the excellent photos. This is a new Family for NM? On widespread - I regularly got it in my front yard in Coburg (Melburne)

DPRees125 wrote:

2 Oct 2024

Indeed, there are heaps of them on BM, little grey things that fly as you move though the dry veg. must have been known, right...

ibaird wrote:

2 Oct 2024

Yes, one probably should not jump to conclusions, but with time, experience and broader expertise, a more complete picture of moth diversity and distribution emerges!

Please Login or Register to comment.