Agape chloropyga (Walker, 1854)
(one synonym: Hypsa analis Walker, 1856)
 AGANAIDAE , NOCTUOIDEA

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
and
Ian F.B. Common & Stella Crossley

Agape chloropyga larva
(Photo from: Moths of Australia)

The Caterpillars of this species are brown with sparse hairs. They characteristically rest with the head and thorax curved round to the left, and with the last two segments raised in the air. They have been found feeding on the leaves of tropical Figs ( MORACEAE ) such as :

  • Morton Bay Fig ( Ficus macrophylla ), and
  • Malayan Banyan ( Ficus microcarpa ).

    Agape chloropyga

    The adults moths are yellow with five orange spots on each forewing. The bodies are yellow with black bands between segments, and a dark blue last abdominal segment. They have a wingspan of about 6 cms.

    Agape chloropyga
    (Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

    They are found in a range from Malaysia to eastern Australia, including :

  • Borneo, and
  • Papua,
    and in Australia in
  • Queensland.

    Further reading :

    Ian F.B. Common,
    Moths of Australia, Melbourne University Press, 1990, pls. 31.10,31.11, p. 442.

    Buck Richardson,
    Mothology,
    LeapFrogOz, Kuranda, 2008, p. 12.

    Paul Zborowski and Ted Edwards,
    A Guide to Australian Moths, CSIRO Publishing, 2007, p. 184.

    previous
    back
    caterpillar
    Australian
    Australian Butterflies
    butterflies
    Australian
    home
    caterpillars
    Australian
    Australian Moths
    moths
    next
    next
    caterpillar

    (updated 15 May 2010)