Proteuxoa chrysospila (Lower, 1902)
Blunt Noctuid
 (previously known as Caradina chrysospila)
ACRONICTINAE,   NOCTUIDAE,   NOCTUOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley
Proteuxoa chrysospila
(Photo: courtesy of jb2602, Ainslie, Australian Capital Territory)

The moths of this species are brown with a central pale spot, and a pale marginal area, on each forewing, and hindwings that fade toward the bases. The thorax has two narrow dark brown streaks The wingspan is about 3 cms.

Proteuxoa chrysospila
(Photo: courtesy of CSIRO/BIO Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

This species occurs in Australia, including:

  • Queensland,
  • New South Wales,
  • Australian Capital Territory,
  • Victoria,
  • Tasmania,
  • South Australia, and
  • Western Australia.

    The moths are easily confused with Proteuxoa chrysospila, but Proteuxoa chrysospila has a blunt, solid and undivided forewing reniform mark (i.e not divided into two lobes). Proteuxoa paragypsa also has pronounced dark tegulae forming a definite "T" shape from above.

    Proteuxoa chrysospila
    female, drawing by George Francis Hampson, listed as Ariathisa chrysospila,
    Catalogue of Lepidoptera Phalænæ in the British Museum,
    Noctuidæ, Volume VIII (1909), Plate CXXXI, fig. 28,
    image courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library, digitized by Ernst Mayr Library, Harvard University.

    Further reading

    George Francis Hampson,
    Catalogue of Noctuidae in the British Museum,
    Catalogue of Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British Museum,
    Volume 8 (1909), p. 391, No. 4054, and also Plate 131, fig. 28.

    Oswald B. Lower,
    New Species of Australian Lepidoptera,
    Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales,
    Volume 26 (1902), pp. 650-651.

    Peter Marriott & Marilyn Hewish,
    Moths of Victoria - Part 9,
    Cutworms and Allies - NOCTUOIDEA (C)    ,
    Entomological Society of Victoria, 2020, pp. 16-17.

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    (written 8 February 2012, updated 13 February 2012, 21 August 2019, 21 December 2020, 23 April 2022)