Achaea argilla
Encyclopedia
Achaea argilla is a moth
of the Noctuidae
family. It is found in the northern half of Australia
, especially in drier inland locations.
The wingspan
is about 50 mm. The forewings have a subtle brown pattern. The hind wings are black with three white spots along the margin and an inner unbroken white band.
The larvae feed on Breynia oblongifolia
and Euphorbia species. The larvae are initially blue-grey with black spiracles, and a grey and white head. There are raised black and white markings on the second and last abdominal segments. Later instar larvae are reddish brown with a black and white head, with a pair of red knobs on the tail, and a black mark on the back of the second abdominal segment. The spiracles on each side of the abdominal segments are orange with a black mark above each one. The first pair of prolegs is degenerate, forcing the larvae to move in a looper fashion.
Pupation takes place in a cocoon. The pupae are initially dark brown but soon become white.
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...
of the Noctuidae
Noctuidae
The Noctuidae or owlet moths are a family of robustly-built moths that includes more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera....
family. It is found in the northern half of 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...
, especially in drier inland locations.
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 50 mm. The forewings have a subtle brown pattern. The hind wings are black with three white spots along the margin and an inner unbroken white band.
The larvae feed on Breynia oblongifolia
Breynia oblongifolia
Breynia oblongifolia, commonly known as coffee bush, is an Australasian shrub growing to 3 m in height. The species produces alternate, ovate leaves 20–30 mm long. Small, green flowers are produced in spring and summer, and these are followed by followed by orange or pink berries ~6 mm...
and Euphorbia species. The larvae are initially blue-grey with black spiracles, and a grey and white head. There are raised black and white markings on the second and last abdominal segments. Later instar larvae are reddish brown with a black and white head, with a pair of red knobs on the tail, and a black mark on the back of the second abdominal segment. The spiracles on each side of the abdominal segments are orange with a black mark above each one. The first pair of prolegs is degenerate, forcing the larvae to move in a looper fashion.
Pupation takes place in a cocoon. The pupae are initially dark brown but soon become white.