MothsMoths Index Aedia arctipennis Agrius convolvuli (Convolvulus Hawk Moth) Anthela guenei (Four-Spot Anthelid Moth) Austrocaligula engaea (Mistletoe Emperor Moth) Case Moths (Variety of Cocoons) Coenotes eremophilae Comocrus behri (Mistletoe Moth) Cosmodes elegans (Green-blotched Moth) Donuca spectabilis (White-spotted Owl-Moth) Endoxyla cinereus (Carpenter Moth) Four-spotted Cup Moth (Doratifera quadriguttata) Hyles livornicoides (Australian Striped Hawk Moth) Leaf Case Moth Metura elongatus (Saunders’ Case Moth) Ochrogaster lunifer (Bag-shelter Moth) Opodiphthera eucalypti (Emperor Gum Moth) Plume Moth Ribbed Case Moth Sameodes cancellalis Utetheisa (Rattlepod Moth)

Cosmodes elegans, known as the Green Blotched Moth, is in the family Noctuidae and native to Australia. It is found in New South Wales, Norfolk Island, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and southern region of Western Australia. It is also found in New Zealand, most likely a migrant or vagrant.

Green-blotched Moth (Cosmodes elegans), Wallaga Lake NSW © Deb Taylor
Green-blotched Moth (Cosmodes elegans), Wallaga Lake NSW © Deb Taylor

The moth larvae (caterpillars) grow to about 3 cm and are bright green with dark spiracles on both sides. The adult moths have a distinctive shaped forewing, are brown with green markings on the forewings and white hindwings fading to light brown along the edges. It has a hairy crest just behind their head. The adult moth has a wingspan of about 40 mm.

Green-blotched Moth (Cosmodes elegans), Wallaga Lake NSW © Deb Taylor
Green-blotched Moth (Cosmodes elegans), Wallaga Lake NSW © Deb Taylor
Green-blotched Moth (Cosmodes elegans), Wallaga Lake NSW © Deb Taylor
Green-blotched Moth (Cosmodes elegans), Wallaga Lake NSW © Deb Taylor
Green-blotched Moth (Cosmodes elegans), Wallaga Lake NSW © Deb Taylor
Green-blotched Moth (Cosmodes elegans), Wallaga Lake NSW © Deb Taylor
Green-blotched Moth (Cosmodes elegans), Wallaga Lake NSW © Deb Taylor
Green-blotched Moth (Cosmodes elegans), Wallaga Lake NSW © Deb Taylor

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Informal: Pterygotes
  • Order: Lepidoptera
  • Unranked: Ditrysia
  • Superfamily: Noctuoidea
  • Family: Noctuidae
  • Subfamily: Acronictinae
  • Genus: Cosmodes
  • Species: Cosmodes elegans

Footnote & References

  1. Green-blotched Moth (Cosmodes elegans) © Deb Taylor
  2. Green-blotched Moth (Cosmodes elegans), debtaylor142, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations?place_id=6744&subview=map&taxon_id=333747&user_id=debtaylor142
  3. Cosmodes elegans (Donovan, 1805), Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/f51e8eb8-bce7-4e98-b084-2578cfe46cba

MothsMoths Index Aedia arctipennis Agrius convolvuli (Convolvulus Hawk Moth) Anthela guenei (Four-Spot Anthelid Moth) Austrocaligula engaea (Mistletoe Emperor Moth) Case Moths (Variety of Cocoons) Coenotes eremophilae Comocrus behri (Mistletoe Moth) Cosmodes elegans (Green-blotched Moth) Donuca spectabilis (White-spotted Owl-Moth) Endoxyla cinereus (Carpenter Moth) Four-spotted Cup Moth (Doratifera quadriguttata) Hyles livornicoides (Australian Striped Hawk Moth) Leaf Case Moth Metura elongatus (Saunders’ Case Moth) Ochrogaster lunifer (Bag-shelter Moth) Opodiphthera eucalypti (Emperor Gum Moth) Plume Moth Ribbed Case Moth Sameodes cancellalis Utetheisa (Rattlepod Moth)