Black-spotted Cape-moth
Male, dorsal
Black-spotted Cape-moth
Male, Horn
| Black-spotted Cape-moth Male, dorsal | | Black-spotted Cape-moth Male, Horn | | ||
 | Class: | Animals (Animalia) - Jointed Legs (Arthropoda) - Insects (Insecta) | |||
| Order: | Butterflies & Moths (Lepidoptera) | ||||
| Family: | Geometer (:Geometridae Ennominae Nacophorini) iNaturalist Observation | ||||
| Species: | Black-spotted Cape-moth (Loweria haplochroa) | ||||
| This Photo: | 🔍Male, profile🔎 | ||||
Thank you Malki (The_Naturalist) for confirming the id of this species for us General Species Information: Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA) and elsewhere 1st Live Photo on-line: 1st for SA on Atlas: ~13mm long & ~28mm wingspan. Males with Bipectinate Antennae Notice Loweria frons has the square horn. Small black spotting mainly on the costa. Orange flecks forming 2 indistinct lines. 2 Sold black spots on forwings. We didn't see hindwings, but ventrally indications there are 2 spots there as well, possibly more faded. Very similar to Smoke-spotted Cape-moth (Loweria capnosticta) which we also get. However, this has more small black spotting all the forewings. MoV says Loweria capnosticta is also similar to Loweria tephrochroa. We may get that one as well, but haven't recognised them. Notice the thoracic crest. We see this alot in species that aren't supposed to have one and surmise it's associated with putting the specimens in the fridge to cool down to keep still while we photograph them b4 release. | |||||
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