— see Alice Springs Butterflies & Moths
The following is the caterpillar Aedia arctipennis, pictured on the Potato Vine (Ipomoea costata) in Alice Springs, Central Australia.
This particular caterpillar of the Aedia arctipennis has a speckled grey appearance with yellow stripes that are outlined in black running from the head to the tail. The head is grey with black dots, whilst at the tail end is a white spot, outlined with black dots. The caterpillar grows to a length of approximately 3 centimetres.
The caterpillars of this species of moth are often found feeding on plants of the genus Ipomoea.
Thanks to Caroline Allen from Butterflies, Moths and other Invertebrates of Australia, Facebook group for ID of this species.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Superfamily: Noctuoidea
- Family: Noctuidae
- Subfamily: Acronictinae
- Genus: Aedia
- Species: Aedia arctipennis
Footnote & References
- Aedia arctipennis, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations?taxon_id=846148
- Aedia arctipennis, Coffs Harbour Butterfly House, http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/acro1/arctipennis.html
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) Four-spotted Cup Moth (Doratifera quadriguttata) Endoxyla cinereus (Carpenter Moth) Hippotion celerio (Vine Hawk Moth) 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)