Utetheisa pulchelloides
Encyclopedia
The Heliotrope Moth is a moth
of the Arctiidae
family. It is found in the Indo-Australian region including Borneo
, Hong Kong
, New Zealand
, Papua
, Seychelles
and most of Australia
.
Adults undertake extensive and frequent migratory flights
and can reach the most remote oceanic islands, such as Henderson Island
and Ducie Island
.
The larvae feed on Argusia argentea, Echium plantagineum, Heliotropium arborescens
and Myosotis arvensis
.
Utetheisa salomonis
(including the former Utetheisa pectinata
ruberrima) may belong into this species.
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 Arctiidae
Arctiidae
Arctiidae is a large and diverse family of moths with around 11,000 species found all over the world, including 6,000 neotropical species. This family includes the groups commonly known as tiger moths , which usually have bright colours, footmen , lichen moths and wasp moths...
family. It is found in the Indo-Australian region including Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Papua
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
and most 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...
.
Adults undertake extensive and frequent migratory flights
Lepidoptera migration
Lepidoptera migration is a biological phenomenon whereby populations of butterflies or moths migrate over long distances to areas where they cannot settle for long periods of time...
and can reach the most remote oceanic islands, such as Henderson Island
Henderson Island (Pitcairn Islands)
Henderson Island is an uninhabited raised coral atoll in the south Pacific Ocean, that in 1902 was annexed to the Pitcairn Islands colony, a South Pacific Dependent Territory of the United Kingdom. Measuring long and wide, it has an area of and is located northeast of Pitcairn Island at . The...
and Ducie Island
Ducie Island
Ducie Island is an uninhabited atoll in the Pitcairn Islands. It lies east of Pitcairn and has a total area of , which includes the lagoon. It is long, measured northeast to southwest, and about wide. The island is composed of four islets: Acadia, Pandora, Westward and Edwards.Despite its...
.
The larvae feed on Argusia argentea, Echium plantagineum, Heliotropium arborescens
Heliotropium arborescens
The Garden Heliotrope is a highly fragrant perennial plant, originally from Peru. It is especially notable for its intense, rather vanilla-like fragrance. Common names include cherry pie and "common heliotrope"...
and Myosotis arvensis
Myosotis arvensis
Myosotis arvensis or Field Forget-me-not is a herbaceous annual of the genus Myosotis. The flowers are 2–5 mm large, and clearly pale blue. They stand in small groups dense at each other. The flowering period runs from May to late in the autumn....
.
Utetheisa salomonis
Utetheisa salomonis
Utetheisa salomonis is a disputed moth species of the Arctiidae family. It is found on the Loyalty Islands, the New Hebrides, the Solomon Islands, New Britain, Fiji and New Caledonia....
(including the former Utetheisa pectinata
Utetheisa pectinata
Utetheisa pectinata is a moth of the Arctiidae family. It is found on the islands of Arafura Sea and in Australia .-Taxonomy:...
ruberrima) may belong into this species.