#donuca

[drhoz]

#1273 - Donuca castalia - Brown White Banded Noctuid

Photo by Gillian Rivera Lim in Brisbane. The kidney-shaped eyespots suggested Noctuidae, and size the Catocalinae. I was right.

Found in Queensland and the Northern Territory, but Brisbane is south enough that I wouldn’t be surprised if it shows up in New South Wales as well. No info on the diet, but one of the others in the genus (which are often vividly marked with white bands) is known to feed on wattle.

[rattyexplores]

Index Entry - Donuca castalia

Taxonomy: Superfamily Noctuoidea; Family Erebidae; Subfamily Catocalinae; Genus Donuca

Food plants are unknown, however you can see the eggs here.

Species Notes The moth has color variations. Some have a significant increase in contrast in the wing patterns (E.G.), however the patterns themselves stay the same. The female specimen was found in this same area of Kuranda. The male specimen was found just outside.

Erebidae - 002

[drhoz]

#499 - Nagia linteola? EDIT: Donuca spectabilis

EDIT: It’s not Nagia - It’s a Donuca species found over much of Australia, where the larvae eat a common wattle.

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I'm pretty confident this is Nagia linteola. The problem with that ID is that I can't find any mention of the species being found anywhere NEAR Perth. It's known from South Africa, the Congo, Yemen, the Comoros Islands and Mauritius, and ALA has sightings from coastal areas across Australia's top end and down the Queensland coastline, but none over here.

Although I suppose there's no reason why it wouldn't be here - it's known to breed on Crepe Myrtle (a popular ornamental tree from China that thrives in Perth), various Native Almonds and Native Damsons in the genus Terminalia, and possibly Morton Bay Ash (a eucalypt). I'm just reluctant to be the first to report it from here.

My porch, Wellard, but I've seen the same species at the Baldivis Spud Shed as well.

[oakapples]

Donuca castalia.