Dysphania (genus)

A False Tiger moth (Dysphaniini at Shelburne, QLD

Dysphania (genus) at Shelburne, QLD - 31 Jul 2024 09:23 AM
Dysphania (genus) at Shelburne, QLD - 31 Jul 2024 09:23 AM
Dysphania (genus) at Shelburne, QLD - 31 Jul 2024 09:23 AM
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Identification history

Dysphania (genus) 12 Apr 2025 ibaird
Dysphania (genus) 12 Apr 2025 donhe
Dysphania numana 1 Aug 2024 donhe
Unverified 31 Jul 2024 lbradley

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Dysphania numana

9 comments

WendyEM wrote:
   11 Apr 2025
Excellent photos of a stunning lep. I am a bit confused by this. Yes it does rather look like Dysphania numana but there are some problems. None I have seen online have the dark blue head and shoulders, they are all fluffy yellow or orange. Even dead or battered specimens. Also they have a row of yellow spots adjacent to the termen on the underside of the hindwings but none seem to have the other large yellow patch on the underside of hindwing. e.g.
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/219065312
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/217215559
Puzzling
This is a pair in cop so the big yellow patch is not a gender thing https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/239073783
donhe wrote:
   12 Apr 2025
Dysphania sp. ?
WendyEM wrote:
   12 Apr 2025
D. sp is probably the solution. D. numana is the only sp I can find listed for Aust, which I don't think this fits. There are at least 19 sp through island countries N of Aust and Asia see
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?taxon_id=52021&view=species
none of which look exactly like this moth.
This is a very interesting record.
ibaird wrote:
   12 Apr 2025
I think this mighjt match the Andaman False Tiger Moth, suggesting it may be a vagrant to Northern Australai.
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1229066-Dysphania-andamana/browse_photos?grouping=taxon_id&place_id=6744
Blown in from Andaman Island by a recent cyclone perhaps?
WendyEM wrote:
   12 Apr 2025
I don't think so - underside of hindwing lacks yellow spots and patch. see
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/256388970
ibaird wrote:
   12 Apr 2025
OK, agreed. Assuming D. anadamana is not sexually dimorphic it's probably not that species. But it's worthy of further examination I think.
lbradley wrote:
   13 Apr 2025
Thank you for the discussion. Itโ€™s a bit disappointing after all of that to only get a genus and not a species. ๐Ÿ˜‚ itโ€™s fun to challenge the experts.
donhe wrote:
   13 Apr 2025
Most of the 10,000 or so named Australian moth species were named and described between 1850 -1950 and are those most commonly encountered, but it is now evident that there.are probably as many again, rather rarer, unnamed. Yours seems to be one of those. Do not be dismayed. Yours is rarer than the named moths. Be thrilled.
lbradley wrote:
   13 Apr 2025
I am! ๐Ÿ˜Š

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Additional information

  • 25mm to 50mm Animal size

Species information

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