Synemon selene
Encyclopedia
The Pale Sun-moth is a moth
in the Castniidae
family. It is found in Australia
, including Victoria
and South Australia
.
The wingspan
is about 35 mm for males and 47 mm for females. The forewing upperside is predominantly light brown or greyish-brown with small black and white markings and pale fawn or greyish-fawn striations, which follow the veins. The hindwing upperside is yellowish-orange with blackish spots and markings and a silvery-grey basal area. On their undersides, the forewings and hindwings are shades of pale whitish-orange with a few blackish spots and markings. A number of morphs occur, commonly named the Pale Morph, Terrick Terrick Morph, Nhill Morph, Narrow-winged Morph, Dark Morph and Two Wells Morph.
Adults have been recorded from early February to early March.
The larvae probably feed on the roots of Austrodanthonia setacea
.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
in the Castniidae
Castniidae
Castniidae, or castniid moths, is a small family of moths with less than 200 species: The majority are Neotropical with some in Australia and a few in south-east Asia. These are medium-sized to very large moths, usually with drab, cryptically-marked forewings and brightly coloured hindwings. They...
family. It is found in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, including Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is about 35 mm for males and 47 mm for females. The forewing upperside is predominantly light brown or greyish-brown with small black and white markings and pale fawn or greyish-fawn striations, which follow the veins. The hindwing upperside is yellowish-orange with blackish spots and markings and a silvery-grey basal area. On their undersides, the forewings and hindwings are shades of pale whitish-orange with a few blackish spots and markings. A number of morphs occur, commonly named the Pale Morph, Terrick Terrick Morph, Nhill Morph, Narrow-winged Morph, Dark Morph and Two Wells Morph.
Adults have been recorded from early February to early March.
The larvae probably feed on the roots of Austrodanthonia setacea
Austrodanthonia setacea
Austrodanthonia setacea, known by various common names including Small-flowered Wallaby-grass, Mulga- or Bristly Wallaby-grass, is a species of grass native to Australia. Originally described by Robert Brown in 1810, it was transferred into Austrodanthonia by Hans Peter Linder in 1993, and there it...
.