Variable Oxycanus at Yass River, NSW
Identification history
| Oxycanus dirempta | 24 May 2025 | WendyEM | ||
| Oxycanus dirempta | 23 May 2025 | ibaird | ||
| Oxycanus lyelli | 23 May 2025 | SenexRugosus |
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User's notes
Lots of big moths are coming out now it's rained. They're attracted to our house lights and sit on the outside windows demanding to be photographed and cataloged on Canberra Nature Map.
2 comments
ibaird
wrote:
23 May 2025
Yes, and they can be challenging to identify. Given the forewing patterns vary significantly within and between species, the usual approach is to rely on using antennae structure and colour, using the Moths of Victoria (Part 6) visual key to the Oxycanus (genus). Unfortunatlely Moths of Victoria say the status of O. lyelli is uncertain and needs more work. Using their key the male of Oxycanus dirempta and O. lyelli have a very similar antennae structure, but they differ only in colour: those of O. lyella are a dark brown, whereas O. dirempta are red-brown. I'm not 100% which species we have here, but I think the anetannae are as likely red-brown in colour rather than dark brown. If there is another way to distinguish O. dirempta and O. lyelli on visual grounds in the field, I'm open to suggestions.
SenexRugosus
wrote:
25 May 2025
Thanks for the detailed comments, ibaird. I was basing my id on the similarity to Oxycanus lyelli . The patterning is very similar as is the antennae colour, but perhaps it's possible that one was misidentified?
Location information
- Coordinates 149.159878-34.893456
- Altitude 649.0m
- Maps Rugosa
- Places Yass River, NSW
Sighting information
- At least 1 Abundance
- 23 May 2025 11:35 AM Recorded on
- SenexRugosus Recorded by
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Collections
SenexRugosus NatureMapr Canberra & Southern Tablelands Oxycanus dirempta Swift and Ghost moths (Hepialidae) Moths (Lepidoptera) Insects
Additional information
- 25mm to 50mm Animal size
Species information
- Oxycanus dirempta Scientific name
- Variable Oxycanus Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 968.4m Recorded at altitude
- External link More information
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Synonyms
Porina kershawi
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