Phaos interfixa Walker, 1855
(one synonym : Spilosomia frenchii Lucas, 1898)
ARCTIINI,   ARCTIINAE,   EREBIDAE,   NOCTUOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

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

The adult moth of this species has forewings that are yellow with a complex black pattern. The hindwings are also yellow, each with a black spot near the middle and a broad black margin. The abdomen is red with a black dash on the back of each segment The wingspan is about 4 cms.

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

The species is found in Australia in

  • Tasmania.

    Phaos interfixa
    male, drawing by George F. Hampson, listed as Estigmene interfixa
    ,
    Catalogue of the Arctiadæ (Arctianæ) and Agaristidæ in the British Museum,
    Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalænæ in the British Museum,
    Volume III (1901), Plate XLVII, Figure 18,
    image courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library, digitized by Smithsonian Libraries.


    Further reading:

    George F. Hampson,
    Catalogue of the Arctiadae (Arctianae) and Agaristidae in the British Museum,
    Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British Museum,
    Volume 3 (1901), p. 339, and also Plate 47, Figure 18.

    Francis Walker,
    Catalogue of Lepidoptera Heterocera,
    List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum,
    Part 3 (1855), pp. 627-628.


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    (written 2 February 2015, updated 3 September 2019)