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.
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.
- 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
- Green-blotched Moth (Cosmodes elegans) © Deb Taylor
- Green-blotched Moth (Cosmodes elegans), debtaylor142, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations?place_id=6744&subview=map&taxon_id=333747&user_id=debtaylor142
- 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 Agape chloropyga Agrius convolvuli (Convolvulus Hawk Moth) Agrotis munda Anthela guenei (Four-Spot Anthelid Moth) Austrocaligula engaea (Mistletoe Emperor Moth) Calicotis crucifera 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) Eudesmeola lawsoni Four-spotted Cup Moth (Doratifera quadriguttata) 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)