Theretra indistincta is a moth

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 Sphingidae

Sphingidae

Sphingidae is a family of moths , commonly known as hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms, that includes about 1,200 species . It is best represented in the tropics but there are species in every region . They are moderate to large in size and are distinguished among moths for their rapid,...

 family. It is known from 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...

, 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...

, Indonesia

Indonesia

Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

 and the Bismarck Archipelago

Bismarck Archipelago

The Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea.-History:...

.

Adults are brown. The forewings each have a small dark spot near the middle, and a faint dark subterminal line. The hindwings are darker but each has a pale margin. They have pink antennae.

The larvae feed on Vitis vinifera

Vitis vinifera

Vitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....

. They are green or brown, with a row of white encircled green spots with white centres along each side, one per segment. The tail has a stout red horn curving back with a black tip. Pupation takes place in a mottled brown pupa.

Subspecies

• Theretra indistincta indistincta (Queensland, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia)
• Theretra indistincta bismarcki Jordan, 1926 (Bismarck Archipelago)
• Theretra indistincta manuselensis Joicey & Talbot, 1921 (Ceram)
• Theretra indistincta papuensis Joicey & Talbot, 1921 (Papua New Guinea)