Southern Downs Butterflies & Moths

Southern Downs Butterflies & Moths >

Butterflies and moths are known collectively as lepidopterans, belonging to the order Lepidoptera, in the class Insecta. The Southern Downs region of Queensland is home to a great variety of butterflies and moths. As well as the winged adult species, keep an eye out for the various instar stages including caterpillar and pupa/chrysalis.

Southern Downs Butterflies

Candalides xanthospilos (Yellow-spot Blue), Ballandean QLD © Marc Newman — *Candalides xanthospilos* (Yellow-spot Blue)

Papilio aegeus aegeus (Orchard Butterfly), Ballandean QLD © Marc Newman — *Papilio aegeus aegeus* (Orchard Butterfly)

Blue Tiger (Tirumala hamata), Ballandean QLD © Marc Newman — *Tirumala hamata* (Blue Tiger)

Southern Downs Moths

Donovan's Tiger Moth (Aloa marginata), Ballandean QLD © Marc Newman — *Aloa marginata* (Donovan’s Tiger Moth)

Tiger Moth (Amata trigonophora), Ballandean QLD © Marc Newman — *Amata trigonophora* (Tiger Moth)

Four-Spot Anthelid Moth (Anthela guenei), Ballandean QLD © Marc Newman — *Anthela guenei* (Four-Spot Anthelid Moth)

Australothis rubrescens, Ballandean QLD © Marc Newman — *Australothis rubrescens* (Pink Noctuid Moth)

Day Flying Hawk Moth (Cephonodes kingii) on Chinese Plumbago, Ballandean QLD © Marc Newman — Cephonodes kingii (Day Flying Hawk Moth)

Emperor Moth (Opodiphthera loranthi), Ballandean QLD © Marc Newman — *Opodiphthera loranthi* (Emperor Moth)

Many online resources often group moths and butterflies together, however moths outnumber butterflies in both numbers and species. In Australia alone, there are over 10,500 species of moths, compared with about 400 species of butterflies. Whilst there are very few species of butterflies yet to be discovered, in Australia there is estimated to be at least another 10,000 moth species yet to be discovered, studied and named.

This section is a work in progress…

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

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

Footnote & References

Southern Downs Butterflies & MothsAloa marginata (Donovan’s Tiger Moth) Amata trigonophora (Tiger Moth) Australothis rubrescens Candalides xanthospilos (Yellow-spot Blue) Cephonodes kingii (Day Flying Hawk Moth) Genduara punctigera (Crexa Moth) Opodiphthera loranthi (Emperor Moth) Papilio aegeus aegeus (Orchard Butterfly) Tirumala hamata (Blue Tiger)

Southern Downs InsectsSouthern Downs Beetles Southern Downs Butterflies & Moths Australian Emperor Common Drone Fly Scarlet Percher

Southern Downs QLDSouthern Downs Fauna Southern Downs Bees Southern Downs Birds Southern Downs Crustacean Southern Downs Frogs Southern Downs Insects Southern Downs Marsupials Southern Downs Reptiles Southern Downs Spiders

QueenslandQueensland Fauna Gold Coast Region Lamington National Park Southern Downs QLD