Australothis rubrescens
Encyclopedia
The Indian Weed Caterpillar (Australothis rubrescens) is a moth
of the Noctuidae
family. It is found all over Australia
(including Tasmania
) and in Papua New Guinea
.
Larvae have been recorded on Sigesbeckia orientalis, Ixiolaena brevicompta, Podolepis longipedata, Hibisucs, Nicotiana tabacum
, Solanum dioicum and Stylidium productum
.
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 all over 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...
(including Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
) and in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
.
Larvae have been recorded on Sigesbeckia orientalis, Ixiolaena brevicompta, Podolepis longipedata, Hibisucs, Nicotiana tabacum
Nicotiana tabacum
Nicotiana tabacum, or cultivated tobacco, is a perennial herbaceous plant. It is found only in cultivation, where it is the most commonly grown of all plants in the Nicotiana genus, and its leaves are commercially grown in many countries to be processed into tobacco. It grows to heights between 1...
, Solanum dioicum and Stylidium productum
Stylidium productum
Stylidium productum is a small plant found in eastern Australia. Occasionally seen near Sydney, growing on soils derived from Hawkesbury Sandstone.Flowers appear in spring and summer, having five pink petals, but one is very small....
.