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Idaea costaria

3 White-edged Wave at Aranda, ACT

Idaea costaria at Aranda, ACT - 21 Nov 2019
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Identification history

Idaea costaria 22 Nov 2019 donhe
Idaea costaria 22 Nov 2019 ibaird
Unidentified 22 Nov 2019 KMcCue

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User's notes

Have to be careful picking Mulberries, don't just pop them in your mouth.

3 comments

KMcCue wrote:
   25 Nov 2019
Thanks Ian and Don - what about the colour? Are they feeding on the berries whilst otherwise engaged and somehow changing their colour? is it an adaptive survival mechanism perhaps so they are not so visible?
donhe wrote:
   25 Nov 2019
Most Geometridae adults have a haustellum, and probably suck juice from the berries, but I was under the impression that the veins in the wings are dried and inactive, so this would not cause a change to wing coloration.
However I have found Geometridae larvae in Raspberries and Blackberries. The larvae of Idaea accept dead and live Gum leaves, but maybe they are omnivorous. It would be good to pick a quantity of the Aranda Mulberries, and observe them for a while to see if any larvae emerge as a result of the disturbance.
KMcCue wrote:
   25 Nov 2019
Interesting
Afraid the Koels make that an impossible option - they like them more than we do, or the moths.

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Additional information

  • 12mm to 25mm Animal size
  • Mixed Gender
  • Breeding behaviour Breeding behaviour

Species information

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