Lydia's Wave Moth
S3, Male, ventral
Ellura
Varied Wave Moth
S3, dorsal
 
                      
Varied Wave Moth (Scopula optivata)Class: Animals (Animalia) - Jointed Legs (Arthropoda) - Insects (Insecta)
Order: Butterflies & Moths (Lepidoptera)
Family: Geometer (:Geometridae Sterrhinae)     iNaturalist Observation
Species: Varied Wave Moth (Scopula optivata)
This Photo:     🔍S7, dorsal🔎

Thank you Axel Kallies & Dr Bevan Buirchell 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
~25mm wingspan. These seem quite fragile.
It is difficult to be sure, but we think males have finely hairy antennae (very difficult to see even in photographs), while we think female antennae are smooth. Both are filiform.

Similar Species: Wavy Noctuid (Ericeia subsignata)

Copyright © 2017-2024 Brett & Marie Smith. All Rights Reserved. Photographed 02-Oct-2017
This species is an Australian Native Species, not listed in the SA Murray Mallee Survey of 2010.