Halgania Moth
Dorsal, large, red, joined patches
Ellura
Halgania Moth
Dorsal, 2nd red patch is missing
 
                      
Halgania Moth (Utetheisa pulchelloides)Class: Animals (Animalia) - Jointed Legs (Arthropoda) - Insects (Insecta)
Order: Butterflies & Moths (Lepidoptera)
Family: Tiger Moth (:Noctuoidea Erebidae)     iNaturalist Observation
Species: Halgania Moth (Utetheisa pulchelloides)
This Photo:     Rear 2 patches are grey not red
Synonym: Utethesia pulchelloides
Other name: Heliotrope Moth

Thank you Matt Campbell for confirming the id of this species for us

General Species Information:
Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA), the Adelaide Hills and elsewhere
~13mm long, with a wingspan of ~35mm.
Very colourful moth close up, but the colours are not visible when flying. Males & females cannot normally be distinguished. At rest it wraps it's wings around the body, making it very difficult to get a full wing pattern from one side. It's best to get profile from both sides and dorsal shots to see the whole forewing.
Another insect with a common name associated with a weed, but is a native insect. It's larvae eat Boraginaceae, with the most dominant plant in the family on Ellura being Halgania
White moth, with black and red swatches (almost an art deco fabric design). There are 5 red marks along the inner margin (but they can be grey or even missing) that match the 5 red marks along the costa. The size of the red marks varies considerably. They can also join together or be very segregated.
Has varying degrees of mustard highlights around the head & shoulder.
There is another very similar moth, the Salt and Pepper Moth (Utetheisa lotrix), that is usually further north.
We have found adults in Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Oct & Nov.

Copyright © 2011-2024 Brett & Marie Smith. All Rights Reserved. Photographed 02-Mar-2011
This species is an Australian Native Species, not listed in the SA Murray Mallee Survey of 2010.