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Australian Wildlife

  Sinister Moth (Pholodes sinistraria)





Sinister Moth | Pholodes sinistraria photo
Pholodes sinistraria, male, Aranda, Australian Capital Territory

Image by Donald Hobern - Some rights reserved.    (view image details)







SINISTER MOTH FACTS

Identification
The Sinister Moth is a fairly drab moth with wings patterned with various shades of brown with some undulating black lines. Colour is variable and some moths are quite dark. The trailing edge of the wings has a lobed serrated edge. The body is fairly fat and hairy and about 15 mm long. Males have feathery antennae. The caterpillars are dark when small becoming reddish brown as they develop. Caterpillars are loopers arching their bodies into a loop as they move. The cocoon is dark brown. This species can be a pest of horticultural plants

Other Names
Brown Looper

Size
wingspan about 5cm

Habitat
parks and gardens

Food
caterpillars feed on a variety of plants including garden and horticultural plants

Breeding
the female lays small pale eggs on leaf of food plant. The caterpillar feeds on leaves and goes through several moults before pupating under the soil.

Range
Pholodes sinistraria is found in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.



Classification
Class:Insecta
Order:Lepidoptera
Family:Geometridae
Genus:Pholodes
Species:sinistraria
Common Name:Sinister Moth