Privet Hawk Moth at Bywong, NSW
Identification history
| Psilogramma casuarinae | 1 Apr 2026 | DianneClarke | ||
| Psilogramma casuarinae | 30 Mar 2026 | WendyEM | ||
| Unverified | 30 Mar 2026 | arjay |
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User's notes
I assume Endoxyla. But which. Screeched when disturbed.
6 comments
WendyEM
wrote:
30 Mar 2026
I don't recall hearing about screeching before. Very interesting. Some moths do use sound interference to avoid bats I believe - but this species is far too big for that reason.
arjay
wrote:
30 Mar 2026
Probably felt threatened by a human who is definitely a lot bigger than a bat. Apparently it was quite loud and startling.
Being a hawk moth is one reason I didn't figure which wood moth it was. I guess it isn't like my hawk moths so didn't think of that.
Being a hawk moth is one reason I didn't figure which wood moth it was. I guess it isn't like my hawk moths so didn't think of that.
WendyEM
wrote:
30 Mar 2026
I commonly have the problem of not finding ID of a moth etc because I am looking in the wrong group/place!
As a rule the Hawk Moths hold their wings flat (like jet aircraft) above their bodies. Heps curve their wings beside or around their bodies. Heps don't bring to mind jet aircraft!
I've dug out "Hawkmoths of Australia" (Mon.Aust Lep. Vol. 13) Moulds, Tuttle & Lane CSIRO 2020 p. 219 "When held or disturbed adults make an audible squeaking sound produced by rubbing a patch of friction scales on the valvae against needle-like spines on the posterior-edge of the eighth tergite, a phenomenon widespread in the genus (several sources are quoted for this).
As a rule the Hawk Moths hold their wings flat (like jet aircraft) above their bodies. Heps curve their wings beside or around their bodies. Heps don't bring to mind jet aircraft!
I've dug out "Hawkmoths of Australia" (Mon.Aust Lep. Vol. 13) Moulds, Tuttle & Lane CSIRO 2020 p. 219 "When held or disturbed adults make an audible squeaking sound produced by rubbing a patch of friction scales on the valvae against needle-like spines on the posterior-edge of the eighth tergite, a phenomenon widespread in the genus (several sources are quoted for this).
arjay
wrote:
30 Mar 2026
Hey thanks for that. Interesting about the noise. So often we don't think of invertebrates making any noise at all (other than cicadas and crickets of course). So when one does do a bit of screeching it is kind of startling. Must admit, I really love invertebrates. So varied and cool.
WendyEM
wrote:
30 Mar 2026
don't forget Deathwatch Beetles. Our Longicorn Beetles make (grumpy) noises when disturbed or handled. Katydids
arjay
wrote:
30 Mar 2026
Yeah yeah.
It was just that cicadas and crickets can be so so so noisy. And were the first to spring to mind. A bit like some frogs. And for that matter birds. Even kangaroos can be noisy on occasion. Living in the bush is certainly not a quiet life.
It was just that cicadas and crickets can be so so so noisy. And were the first to spring to mind. A bit like some frogs. And for that matter birds. Even kangaroos can be noisy on occasion. Living in the bush is certainly not a quiet life.
Location information
- Places Bywong, NSW
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- arjay Recorded by
-
Collections
arjay NatureMapr Canberra & Southern Tablelands Psilogramma casuarinae Hawk moths (Sphingidae) Moths (Lepidoptera) Insects
Additional information
- 50mm or larger Animal size
Species information
- Psilogramma casuarinae Scientific name
- Privet Hawk Moth Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 772.6m Recorded at altitude
- External link More information
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