which contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids. These make it unpleasant to taste and poisonous to birds which would otherwise attack it.

(Photo: courtesy of Brett Smith, Natural History Society of South Australia)

The pupa is formed in a loose cocoon amongst the twigs of the foodplant or in ground debris. The final shed skin of the caterpillar is attached to the end of the pupa.

(Photo: copyright of Rob de Vos)

The adult moth is black except for a broad fragmented white band across each forewing, and a large white patch near the front margin of each hind wing. The body has alternate black and yellow bands.

(Photo: courtesy of Brett Smith, Natural History Society of South Australia)

The adult moth is superficially similar to that of Nyctemera secundiana, but can be distinguished by the shape of the fascia on the forewings, the colour of the white pattern, the shape of the white disc on the hindwings, and the black pattern on the abdomen. Furthermore N. amicus has wings with yellow fringes and a black background colour, while N. secundiana has colourless fringes and the ground colour of the wings is dark brown.

(Photo: courtesy of Bruce Anstee, Riverstone, Sydney)

The species is found over south-east Asia, Oceania, and most of Australia, including

(Photo: courtesy of Brett Smith, Natural History Society of South Australia)

The moth is frequently seen flying during the day. Its parasitoids have been studied by Dr. Tony Clarke of the University of Tasmania.

(Photo: courtesy of Brett Smith, Natural History Society of South Australia)

Further reading :

Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia, Melbourne University Press, 1990, Fig. 43.17, p. 434.

David Carter,
Butterflies and Moths, Collins Eyewitness Handbooks, Sydney 1992, p. 281.

Peter Marriott,
Moths of Victoria, Part 2, Entomological Society of Victoria, 2009, pp. 28-29.

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(updated 12 April 2011)