Sighting 4633957
Macrobathra (genus)
A Cosmet moth (Cosmopteriginae at Melba, ACT
Identify this sighting
| Macrobathra baliomitra | ibaird | 6 Jan 2025 | |
| Macrobathra (genus) | ibaird | 1 Jan 2025 | |
| Macrobathra (genus) | kasiaaus | 1 Jan 2025 |
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10 comments
1 Jan 2025
Another confusing one. I think this is Macrobathra bigerella but we seem to classify it as Macrobathra baliomitra. I can't even find Macrobathra baliomitra on BOLD but it's there on ALA with most of the images from NatureMapr. Hmm...
1 Jan 2025
What are the differences between Macrobathra baliomitra and Macrobathra bigerella?
1 Jan 2025
I agree M. bigarella and M. baliomitra are challenging to distinguish. I try to go to respected identifiers eg D. Hobern, M. Hewish et al etc for reference IDs to use as references. I tend to think M. baliomitra has more rakish, off-white 'swept back' banding at the anterior end and is likely to show more white on the head than M. bigeralla. Whereas M. bigerella tend to have more vertical clear white banding more narrow at the anterior end-and more likely to show clear black colour dorsally between the first and second bands. I don't know of any published 'key' to Macrobathra (genus).
I note that Bold Systems 4 does not seem to show M. bigarella records from the ACT - although I expect it does occur here.
I wasn't so confident this moth fitted my idea of M. bigeralla because the first white band seemed much reduced and looking from above there is a clear black gap in all four white bands when viewed from above along the dorsal line. I’m happy to add M. bigarella to the Canberra and Southern Tablelands taxonomy.
I note that Bold Systems 4 does not seem to show M. bigarella records from the ACT - although I expect it does occur here.
I wasn't so confident this moth fitted my idea of M. bigeralla because the first white band seemed much reduced and looking from above there is a clear black gap in all four white bands when viewed from above along the dorsal line. I’m happy to add M. bigarella to the Canberra and Southern Tablelands taxonomy.
1 Jan 2025
Thanks Ian. I wonder if all the NatureMapr M. baliomitra sightings are definitely M. baliomitra. If so, this one is probably M. baliomitra as well.
2 Jan 2025
@donhe I have been trying to work out some Macrobathra. Following Ian's comment above, I looked at Macrobathra baliomitra on LBH and the 2 examples look quite different from each other. Are they both correct?
2 Jan 2025
Dianne, yes. The second M. baliomitra photo (by Bron) on LBH has a clear black gap bteween the two first white bands dorsally, like this moth in this sighting, but Bron's moth also has a clear white patch half way along each antennae which this moth here lacks.
2 Jan 2025
I note Bold Systems 5 has 98 records for M. bigerella, apparently the largest number for any Macrobathra species. See here:-
https://portal.boldsystems.org/result?query=%22Macrobathra%20bigerella%22[tax].
https://portal.boldsystems.org/result?query=%22Macrobathra%20bigerella%22[tax].
3 Jan 2025
I think the most observable difference between M. baliomitra and M. bigerella is that the basal white band on M. baliomitra is tinged with brown.
4 Jan 2025
I would seem on Don's criterion (visible on LBH) and Katarina's comment then M. baliomitra is the supported ID for this moth?
5 Jan 2025
I think I agree Ian but I also think that it unlikely that all the moths currently identified as M. baliomitra are in fact M. baliomitra. Given that M. bigerella is more common some of them are probably M. bigerella. I would not be confident enough to distinguish between the two but I hope you are :-)
Location information
- Coordinates 149.050294-35.208565
- Altitude 593.0m
- Places Melba, ACT
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- 31 Dec 2024 09:32 PM Recorded on
- kasiaaus Recorded by
- 5mm to 12mm Animal size
- Alive / healthy Animal health
Collections
- kasiaaus Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Macrobathra (genus) Curved-horn moths (all Gelechioidea except Oecophoridae) Moths (Lepidoptera) Insects
Species information
- Macrobathra (genus) Scientific name
- A Cosmet moth (Cosmopteriginae Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 1422.3m 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
- GPS evidence of location
- Additional attributes
- Description