Hypocala affinis Rothschild, 1915
CALPINAE,   EREBIDAE,   NOCTUOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Hypocala affinis
early instar
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Mt Molloy, Queensland)

The early instars of this species are off-white, with a black head , and dark dorsal line, and two black marks on the second and on the penultimate segments of the abdomen.

Hypocala affinis
later instar
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Mt Molloy, Queensland)

In later instars, the head becomes pale brown, but the caterpillars develop a black line each side extending from the head to the second abdominal segment.

Hypocala affinis
later instar, close-up of head
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Mt Molloy, Queensland)

The caterpillars grow to a length of about 4 cms.

Hypocala affinis
pupa in opened cocoon, with final instar larval skin
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Mt Molloy, Queensland)

The caterpillars pupate in a cocoon in the ground litter. The pupa is brown with a length of about 2 cms.

Hypocala affinis
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Mt Molloy, Queensland)

The adult moth of this species has forewings that are greyish brown, each with various markings, including a white comma mark near the middle, and a broad complex area along margin.

Hypocala affinis
(Photo: courtesy of Buck Richardson, Kuranda, Queensland)

The hindwings are yellow with a dark mark near the middle, and a broad dark band along the margin The wingspan is about 4 cms.

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

The species occurs in

  • New Guinea,

    and in Australia in

  • Queensland.

    Hypocala affinis
    underside
    (Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Mt Molloy, Queensland)


    Further reading :

    Buck Richardson,
    Tropical Queensland Wildlife from Dusk to Dawn Science and Art,
    LeapFrogOz, Kuranda, 2015, p. 142.

    Lionel Walter Rothschild,
    Lepidoptera of the British Ornithologists' Union and Wollaston Expeditions in the Snow Mountains, Southern Dutch New Guinea,
    Macrolepidoptera,
    Part 1. London : Hazell, Watson & Viney, 1915, pp. 57-58, No. 299.


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    (updated 10 March 2010, 17 August 2019, 30 September 2021)