Heliomystis electrica
Encyclopedia
Heliomystis electrica is a moth
of the Geometridae family. It is found in the southern half of Australia
(New South Wales
, Queensland
, South Australia
, Western Australia
and Tasmania
).
The forewings are mottled shades of brown with black speckles and lines. These lines are usually stronger in females and diffuse whitish patches are present, particularly on the inner side of the postmedial line.
The larvae feed on Eucalyptus dives
and Eucalyptus obliqua
. They are green, often darker ventrally or sometimes dorsally, with a whitish spiracular line. The posture of the mature larvae is straight or slightly curved, with the thoracic legs held together and projecting from the body like a thorn from a stick.
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 Geometridae family. It is found in the southern 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...
(New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
and 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...
).
The forewings are mottled shades of brown with black speckles and lines. These lines are usually stronger in females and diffuse whitish patches are present, particularly on the inner side of the postmedial line.
The larvae feed on Eucalyptus dives
Eucalyptus dives
Eucalyptus dives or broad-leaved peppermint is a small tree native to temperate dry sclerophyll woodlands and forests of south-eastern Australia. The juvenile leaves are ovate and glaucus, and adult leaves are lanceolate to broad-lanceolate. Leaves are aromatic.-Uses:There are two notable...
and Eucalyptus obliqua
Eucalyptus obliqua
Eucalyptus obliqua, commonly known as Australian Oak, Brown Top, Brown Top Stringbark, Messmate, Messmate Stringybark, Stringybark and Tasmanian Oak, is a hardwood tree native to south-eastern Australia....
. They are green, often darker ventrally or sometimes dorsally, with a whitish spiracular line. The posture of the mature larvae is straight or slightly curved, with the thoracic legs held together and projecting from the body like a thorn from a stick.