''Pollanisus viridipulverulenta'', the satin-green forester, is a

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

of the family

Zygaenidae The Zygaenidae moths are a family of Lepidoptera. The majority of zygaenids are tropical, but they are nevertheless quite well represented in temperate regions. Some of the 1000 or so species are commonly known as burnet or forester moths, ofte ...

. It is found in the eastern part of Australia (

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding townships. ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

and

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

Description

The adult moth has head, thorax and forewings metallic blue-green, while the hindwings are grey. The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan of ...

is about 30 mm. The length of the forewings is 11–13 mm for males and 8–9 mm for females. The female has a yellow tuft of hair at the tip of the abdomen. This species resembles other adult moths in the genus such as ''P. apicalis'' (generally smaller with narrower wings) and ''P. subdolosa'' (distinguishable by a bronze "collar" behind the head). The larva is brown and has clumps of short hair.

Life cycle

Adults are on wing from August and early September (in Queensland and South Australia) to January (in Tasmania). They are diurnal and can be found feeding during the hottest hours of the day. Mating takes place in the afternoon and lasts until the following morning, and the next day the females lay eggs on the flowers and leaves of host plants. Female moths camouflage their eggs using hairs from their abdominal tufts. The larvae feed on various ''

Hibbertia ''Hibbertia'', commonly known as guinea flowers, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Dilleniaceae. They are usually shrubs with simple leaves and usually yellow flowers with five sepals and five petals. There are about 400 species, mos ...

'' species, including ''

Hibbertia obtusifolia ''Hibbertia obtusifolia'', commonly known as hoary guinea flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Dilleniaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is usually an erect shrub with spreading branches, lance-shaped to egg-sh ...

'', ''

Hibbertia stricta ''Hibbertia stricta'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Dilleniaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a small, usually upright shrub with hairy foliage, linear leaves and yellow flowers with six or seven stamens arranged arou ...

'' and ''

Hibbertia sericea ''Hibbertia sericea'', commonly known as silky guinea-flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Dilleniaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub with softly-hairy branches, elliptic to egg-sh ...

''. They pupate in cocoons amongst the foliage or in the leaf litter at the feet of host plants.

References

External links

Australian Faunal DirectoryZygaenid moths of Australia: a revision of the Australian Zygaenidae
viridipulverulenta Moths of Australia Moths described in 1839 {{Zygaenidae-stub