#ectropis

[ljsbugblog]

Unknown moth (genus Ectropis?)

[onenicebugperday]

@nzcienif submitted: Location: Southeast Asia (please remove this specific location - [removed])

The inchworm I submitted earlier is all grown up now! (Thank you for the tips!) It's about 5cm from the tip of left wing to the right. It spent 10 days in cocoon, and is still hanging in the container. The wings have been open for at least 4 hours now. Should I expect it to take off soon?

It's brownish like most of the moths I see around here, but now I realise the pattern on its wings are really amazing!

Ohhh the child is all grown up! They're precious I love them. So glad they successfully eclosed. Most moths will hang out for a few hours after emerging to let their new exoskeleton and wings fully dry and harden, and then they'll fly off into the world to do moth stuff.

Here's the caterpillar for those curious.

Of course it had to be one of the species that has 100 lookalikes, which makes exact ID difficult! It's definitely a geometer, though, and best guess is one of the engrailed moths in the genus Ectropis :)

[coolbugs]

Bug of the Day

Whoa, a fresh BotD? Winter might finally be over...

(A small engrailed, Ectropis crepuscularia)

[drhoz]

#519 - Australian Small Engrailed / Twig Looper

Seems to be Ectropis excursaria. And very similar to Ectropis crepuscularia, the Small Engrailed a European and North American species. In fact, I IDed as that species first, despite being at the wrong end of the planet.

Both have a very diverse diet, and I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if they turn out to the same species in future.

Wellard, Perth