''Phyllodes imperialis'', the imperial fruit-sucking moth or pink underwing moth, is a noctuoid moth in the family

Erebidae The Erebidae are a family of moths in the superfamily Noctuoidea. The family is among the largest families of moths by species count and contains a wide variety of well-known macromoth groups. The family includes the underwings ('' Catocala'') ...

, subfamily

Calpinae The Calpinae are a subfamily of moths in the family Erebidae described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1840. This subfamily includes many species of moths that have a pointed and barbed proboscis adapted to piercing the skins of fruit to feed on ju ...

. It was first described by Herbert Druce in 1888. The species can be found in north-eastern Queensland to northern New South Wales, Papua New Guinea, Solomons, Vanuatu and

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Description

The wingspan is . The "leaf-shaped" forewings are grey-brown and show a distinctive white or yellow marking which varies somewhat among populations. The ventral side of the forewing has a discal, dark-brown patch containing three white spots. The hindwings are dark brown to black with a large central pink patch extending to the inner margin, to which the common name "pink underwing moth" refers. Early instars of the caterpillar are dull brown, but green individuals are also observed. Mature caterpillars are dark brown to reddish brown and show large eyespots. These are composed of a black pupil surrounded by a blue, then yellow ring. Between and below the eyespots are white markings, often described as looking like teeth, and resemble the teeth from a cartoon skeleton.

Subspecies

The following subspecies are known:Sands, Donald P. A. (2012). "Review of Australian ''Phyllodes imperialis'' Druce (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) With Description of a New Subspecies from Subtropical Australia". ''Australian Entomologist''. 39 (4): 281–292. * ''Phyllodes imperialis imperialis'' from the Solomon Islands * ''Phyllodes imperialis dealbata'' from New Caledonia and Vanuatu * ''Phyllodes imperialis meyricki'' from the north of Australia and Papua New Guinea * ''Phyllodes imperialis smithersi'' from the southeast of Queensland and the northeast of New South Wales

Food plants

The larvae feed on '' Menispermaceae'' species, including '' Carronia multisepala'' and '' Pycnarrhena australiana''.

Gallery

File:Phyllodes imperialis female dorsal.jpg, Female, dorsal view File:Phyllodes imperialis female ventral.jpg, Female, ventral view File:Phyllodes imperialis male ventral.jpg, Male, ventral view

References

Literature

*Druce, H. (1888). "Descriptions of new species of Lepidoptera". ''Annals and Magazine of Natural History''. (6): 234–242.

External links

''Caterpillar Eyespots''
– blog
"Pink Underwing Moth: Rarity found on a Land for Wildlife property"
– ''Land for Wildlife''
Searching for the southern pink underwing moth
- New South Wales government notice {{Taxonbar , from=Q7188792 Catocalinae Moths described in 1888