#choreutis

[herpsandbirds]

Tiger Metalmark Moth (Choreutis xanthogramma), family Choreutidae, Philippines

photograph by Vliente Rey

[rattyexplores]

Choreutis basalis ❤

Metalmark moths are quite peculiar...

04/05/22

[rattyexplores]

Resting with elegance.

Choreutis periploca

04/02/21

[drhoz]

#3657 - Choreutis ophiosema

First described by Australian pharmacist Oswald Bertram Lower in 1896. He did a lot of work on butterflies and moths on his time off.

The species feeds on clumping bamboo as a caterpillar, and is found from India across SE Asia, Japan and some parts of Australia. Since we don't have any native bamboo in Perth, it must be feeding on ornamentals. Another Choreutis species is a pest of jackfruit.

The wingspan is about 10 mm.

The family Choreutidae is now considered the only family in its superfamily, and its affiliation to other moth families is still unclear. Many are day-flying, and many have brilliant metallic scales. Brenthia species have eyespots that mimic the eyes of jumping spiders - a very good defence against real jumping spiders.

Osbourne Park, Perth.

[hongkongnaturewalk]

Choreutis sp. C nr. achyrodes sensu Kendrick (2002)

standing on a Psychotria asiatica leaf.

Family CHOREUTIDAE (Metalmark moths), 偽捲蛾科 / 舞蛾科

23 May 2012, HK Island east.

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This is a little moth of 5mm long, which apparently likes to hop along a leaf rather than fly. The posture (with wings folded like a tent slanting at 45 degrees to the horizontal surface) is distinctive to this genus.

This particular species is on record only in Hong Kong and seems not to have been given a full scientific status as a species yet (I think that's why it has no species name), although it is extremely close to C. achyrodes, which is a moth found in the nearby regions of China (Guangxi, Guizhou, Taiwan), Japan (Shikoku, Kyusyu, Ryukyu Is.), India (Assam) and others.

(Species distribution references: Wikipedia on C. achyrodes)