Utetheisa pulchelloides

Heliotrope Moth at Paddys River, ACT

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Identification history

	Utetheisa pulchelloides	9 Jun 2017	ibaird
	Utetheisa pulchelloides	9 Jun 2017	MichaelBedingfield

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User's notes

On the western side of the Murrumbidgee River, north of Tharwa.

6 comments

MichaelBedingfield wrote:

10 Jun 2017

Thanks Ian
What is your opinion about Utetheisa lotrix, which is very similar to this moth?

ibaird wrote:

10 Jun 2017

I did a quick compare with U. lotrix visually, but I'm not aware of any diagnostic authority for separating them, are you? If you are, please let me know if you disagree and we will review it. I thought the red spots had black margins in several examples of U. pulchelloides which suggested to me it was that species. But happy to review if you have a basis for doing so.

ibaird wrote:

11 Jun 2017

Common (1990) acknowledges the Australian Utetheisa 'includes three very similar species'. 'U. pulchelloides occurs throughout Australia and Tasmania....'larvae feed on Boraginaceae' 'e.g. Argusia argentea, Myosotis (forget-me-not)'...'introduced weeds: Heliotropum (heliotrope), Echium plantagineum (Patersons's Curse).' 'Males can be distinguished from.. 'U.lotrix' by their shortly pectinate antennae and the presence of a groove'....'in the anal area of the hind wing'. 'U. lotrix occurs widely in mainland Australia, but especially in the northern half'. 'Its larvae feed on the leaves. flowers and seed pods of Crotalaria'. 'U. pectinata'....' is known only from the north coast of Northern Territory, where its larvae feed on'... ' Argusia argentea (Boraginaceae)'. A quick look at the Atlas of Living Australia shows that Crotalaria g. (the food plant of U. lotrix) is widespread in Australia in the north, but is extremely sporadic in the south and is not recorded for the ACT. However, from personal experience I know Melbourne is warm enough for Crotalaria to grow as a specimen in gardens, so perhaps Crotalaria is garden planted in parts of Canberra (but I see no records on CNM). Therefore, on ecological grounds. I'm pretty confident the Utetheisa specimens we record in the ACT are most likely U. pulchelloides unless we have clear diagnostic evidence to the contrary from the specimen itself.

MichaelBedingfield wrote:

11 Jun 2017

Thanks for looking into this in detail.
I’ve been wondering about this issue for some time, but since all the postings were identified to Utetheisa pulchelloides, I thought that local knowledge might be that U. lotrix was absent from the area.

I posted this sighting on BowerBird, and they wouldn't ID it to species:
http://www.bowerbird.org.au/observations/45418
But they gave me a reference on how to distinguish the two:
http://www.bowerbird.org.au/observations/32482

Subsequently I took home a specimen so I could photograph the required detail. The result was U. pulchelloides:
http://www.bowerbird.org.au/observations/46000
It is on CNMap too:
http://canberra.naturemapr.org/Community/Sightings/Details/3376429

I am happy with your conclusion to regard all local sightings as U. pulchelloides unless proven otherwise.

ibaird wrote:

11 Jun 2017

Michael,
Thanks for your information from Graeme Cocks on Bowerbird how to distinguish the two spp. based on the red spot on the forewing. Very useful information, if that portion is visible in a photograph. Just for good measure I've added notes on CNM in the Description box for U. pulchelloides linking to that illustrated link to Graeme Cocks' advice.

MichaelBedingfield wrote:

11 Jun 2017

Thanks Ian, good idea.

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