Agaristodes feisthamelii (Herrich-Schaffer, 1853) Alpine Day-moth (formerly known as Agarista feisthamelii) AGARISTINAE,   NOCTUIDAE,   NOCTUOIDEA

Don Herbison-Evans (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley

(Photo: courtesy of Matthew Frawley, Namadgi National Park, Australian Capital Territory)

The adult moths of this species are black, with white speckles and markings, including a large white 'U' on each forewing, and a white spot near the base. The hindwings are black, each with a huge white half-moon.

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

The abdomen is yellow, often obscured by black hairs emanating from the segment joints The wing undersides are similar to the upper surfaces, and the wings of the sexes are similar to each other. The wingspan is about 5 cms.

mating pair
(Photo: courtesy of Kevin McCue, Namadgi National Park, Australian Capital Territory)

The species is found in Australia in

Tasmania.

drawing by Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer,
Sammlung neuer oder wenig bekannter aussereuropäischer Schmetterlinge,
Verzeichniss der in diesem Werke gelieferten Arten nach Reihenfolge ihrer Veroffentlichung,
Series I, Volume 1, Part 3 (1855), p. 78, Plate 29, Figure 25,
image courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library, digitized by Ernst Mayr Library, Harvard University.

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Further reading :

Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer,
Sammlung neuer oder wenig bekannter aussereuropäischer Schmetterlinge,
Verzeichniss der in diesem Werke gelieferten Arten nach Reihenfolge ihrer Veroffentlichung,
Series I, Volume 1, Part 3 (1855), p. 78, No. 25, and Plate 29, Figure 25.

Peter Marriott,
Moths of Victoria - Part 8,
Night Moths and Allies - NOCTUOIDEA(B),
Entomological Society of Victoria, 2017, pp. 34-35.

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(written 12 December 2017, updated 9 August 2018, 29 August 2021)