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Chasmina pulchra, Alice Springs NT

Alice Springs Moths

Alice Springs Fauna •

Alice Springs Moths | Alice Springs Moths Index

Belonging to the order Lepidoptera (class Insecta), Alice Springs is home to a great variety of moths, with Australia being home to more then 10,000 species of moths (and with many yet to be identified). Moths form a group of some 125 families worldwide, with 82 families of moths represented in Australia.

Whilst many species may seem to have duller colours to the butterflies, they are interesting in their own right. Alice Springs and Central Australia have some known genus/species including the Processionary Caterpillars (also known as the Bag-shelter Moth, Ochrogaster lunifer) and the Yeperenye / Australian Striped Hawk Moth (Hyles livornicoides).

As well as the winged adult species, keep an eye out for the various instar stages including caterpillar and pupa/chrysalis. Check out some of the moths we have documented here in Alice Springs.


Cleora (Geometer Moth), Alice Springs NT
Cleora (Geometer Moth), Alice Springs NT
Endoxyla genus, family Cossidae (deceased), Alice Springs NT
Endoxyla genus, family Cossidae (deceased), Alice Springs NT
White-spotted Owl-Moth (Donuca spectabilis)
White-spotted Owl-Moth (Donuca spectabilis), Alice Springs NT
Ophiusa parcemacula (Owlet Moth / Figure Eight Moth), Alice Springs NT
Ophiusa parcemacula (Owlet Moth / Figure Eight Moth), Alice Springs NT
Plume Moth (family Pterophoridae), Alice Springs, NT
Plume Moth (family Pterophoridae), Alice Springs, NT
Dasypodia selenophora (Southern Moon Moth), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Dasypodia selenophora (Southern Moon Moth), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Day Flying Moth (Comocrus behri) feeding on Red-capped Gum (Eucalyptus erythrocorys)
Day Flying Moth (Comocrus behri), Alice Springs, NT
Agrius godarti (Godart’s Hawkmoth), Alice Springs NT
Agrius godarti (Godart’s Hawkmoth), Alice Springs NT
Heliotrope Moth (Utetheisa pulchelloides), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Heliotrope Moth (Utetheisa pulchelloides), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Witchetty Grub Cossid Moth (Endoxyla leucomochla)
Witchetty Grub Cossid Moth (Endoxyla leucomochla), Alice Springs NT
Niguza spiramioides, Alice Springs NT
Niguza spiramioides, Alice Springs NT
Laced Day-Moth (Ipanica cornigera), Olive Pink Botanic Garden, Alice Springs NT
Laced Day-Moth (Ipanica cornigera), Olive Pink Botanic Garden, Alice Springs NT

Check out our main section on Fauna | Insects | Moths | Moths Index


  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Order: Lepidoptera

Footnote & References

  1. Moth, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moth (last visited Feb. 8, 2022)
  2. Butterfly, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly (last visited Feb. 13, 2022)
  3. Families of Moths in Australia, by Don Herbison-Evans and Stella Crossley, Coffs Harbour Butterfly House, http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/moths.html
  4. Australian Moths Online, CSIRO, https://moths.csiro.au/
  5. Moths, butterflies and skippers: Order Lepidoptera, Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/animals/insects/moths-butterflies-and-skippers-order-lepidoptera/
  6. What are the differences between butterflies and moths? Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/animals/insects/what-are-the-differences-between-butterflies-and-moths/
  7. Butterflies Australia, https://www.butterflies.org.au/
  8. Butterflies of Australia, Australian Caterpillars and their Butterflies and Moths, Coffs Harbour Butterfly House, http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/butter.html
  9. BOIC, Butterfly & Other Invertebrates Club, https://boic.org.au/
  10. Butterflies and Moths, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/47157-Lepidoptera
  11. Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, https://australianbutterflies.com/
  12. 8 Differences Between Butterflies and Moths, Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, https://australianbutterflies.com/8-differences-between-butterflies-and-moths/

Alice Springs Moths | Alice Springs Moths Index

Alice Springs MothsMoths Index Achaea sp Aedia leucomelas (Sweet Potato Leaf Worm) Agrotis munda (Brown Cutworm Moth) Arhodia lasiocamparia Australian Striped Hawk Moth (Hyles livornicoides) Bag-shelter Moth & Processionary Caterpillar Carpenter Moth (Endoxyla cinereus) Chasmina pulchra (White Beauty) Cleora (Geometer Moth) Convolvulus Hawk-moth (Agrius convolvuli) Dasypodia selenophora (Southern Old Lady Moth) Destolinia lineata (Caterpillar of the Streaked Notodontid) Diatenes gerula (Erebid Moth) Dichromodes sp (Geometer Moth) Endoxyla Moth (family Cossidae) Gelechioid Moth Giant Wood Moth (Endoxyla cinereus) Godart’s Hawkmoth (Agrius godarti) Helicoverpa punctigera (Australian Fruitworm) Mocis alterna (Bean Looper Moth) Laced Day-Moth (Ipanica cornigera) Niguza spiramioides Leptocneria binotata Owlet Moth (Eudesmeola lawsoni) Owlet Moth (Ophiusa parcemacula) Plume Moth (Pterophoridae) Sameodes cancellalis (Banded Pearl) Yeperenye / Yipirinya

Alice Springs Butterflies & Moths (Lepidopterans)Butterflies Moths

Alice Springs FaunaAlice Springs Native Bees Alice Springs Beetles Alice Springs Birds Alice Springs Gastropods (Gastropoda) Alice Springs Insects Alice Springs Marsupials Alice Springs Reptiles Alice Springs Spiders

Alice Springs FloraAlice Springs Flora Index Acacia ligulata Annual Yellowtop Apple Bush Bougainvillea Burdekin Plum Carob Tree (Ceratonia siliqa) Cattle Bush Desert Cotton (Aerva javanica) Desert Oak Eremophila Wildberry Feijoa sellowiana Flannel Cudweed Fork-leaf Corkwood Ghost Gum Golden Everlasting Kurrajong Lemon-flowered Gum MacDonnell’s Desert Fuchsia Native Bluebell Native Tomato Needlewood Olive Tree Perennial Yellow Top Rat’s Tail River Red Gum Woolly Cloak-Fern (Cheilanthes lasiophylla) Inland River Red Gum Rosy Dock Round-leaved Mallee Scurvy Grass Silky Eremophila Stemodia viscosa Striped Mintbush Sturt’s Desert Pea Sturt’s Desert Rose Tangled Leschenaultia Tar Vine Weeping Bottlebrush White Cedar Yellow Billybutton Yellow-keeled Swainsona Yellow Oleander