Phil Bendle Collection:Dasypodia cymatodes (Northern Wattle moth)

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
(unranked): Macrolepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Subfamily: Catocalinae
Genus: Dasypodia
Species: D. cymatodes
Binomial name: Dasypodia cymatodes
Synonym: Dasypodia cymatoides
Common names: Northern Wattle Moth, Northern Old Lady Moth, Northern Old Lady, Para kori taua, Para kehue, Owl moth, Peacock moth.

Dasypodia cymatodes is one our largest moths which is self-introduced from Australia. It is found in the North Island where ever wattles grow. It is nocturnal and since ji is attracted to light it is found in houses or around external lights. These moth appear during summer.  In Australia, it is found in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. The wingspan is about 80 mm. The caterpillars feed on Acacia species are a yellow-brown speckled with black.
The Maori names listed above refer to the belief that they were returning spirits of their ancestors.

[1]  

The eye patch on each forewing.

The underside of moth

[2]

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/  

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