Hypoperigea tonsa (Guenée, 1852)
Common Cutworm
 (previously known as Perigea tonsa)
ACRONICTINAE,   NOCTUIDAE,   NOCTUOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Hypoperigea tonsa
(Photo: courtesy of Donald Hobern, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory)

The adult moth of this species has brown forewings each with a complex pattern of orange, black, and white.

Hypoperigea tonsa
(Photo: courtesy of Graeme Cocks, Townsville, Queensland)

The hindwings are white shading to brown at the margins. The wingspan is about 2.5 cms.

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

The species has been found all over Australia, including:

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

    Hypoperigea tonsa
    underside
    (Photo: courtesy of Mark Heath, Kanowna, Western Australia)

    Like all NOCTUOIDEA, the adult moth has a haustellum under the head which is normally kept coiled up, but can be uncoiled straight to sip fluids such as nectar.

    Hypoperigea tonsa
    close-up of head underside, haustellum extended
    (Photo: courtesy of Mark Heath, Kanowna, Western Australia)

    Further reading :

    Achille Guenée,
    Noctuélites,
    in Boisduval & Guenée:
    Histoire naturelle des insectes; spécies général des lépidoptères,
    Volume 9, Part 5, Section 1 (1852), p. 232.

    Peter Marriott & Marilyn Hewish,
    Moths of Victoria - Part 9,
    Cutworms and Allies - NOCTUOIDEA (C)    ,
    Entomological Society of Victoria, 2020, pp. 6-7, 10-11.

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    (updated 23 August 2012, 21 August 2019, 12 December 2020, 19 May 2022)