Praxis porphyretica Guenée, 1852
 (one synonym : Praxis inordinata Walker, 1858)
Brown Praxis
CALPINAE,   EREBIDAE,   NOCTUOIDEA
  
Don Herbison-Evans,
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Praxis porphyretica
(Photo: courtesy of Steve Williams, Moths of Victoria - Part 8)

The early instars of this Caterpillar of this species are a stripy green, with some black dots along each side, a dark grey head, and some pale bands between the segments.

Praxis porphyretica
(Photo: courtesy of Steve Williams, Moths of Victoria - Part 8)

The last instar is brown with stripes along the body. The central dorsal pale brown stripe becomes pale yellow as it passes over the sixth abdominal segment. There are four small black-ringed white dots on the side of each segment. The true legs are red.

The caterpillar is thought to feed on various -

  • Wattles (Acacia species, MIMOSACEAE).

    Praxis porphyretica

    Praxis porphyretica
    (Photos: courtesy of Steve Williams, Moths of Victoria - Part 8)

    The purplish-brown pupa is formed in a white cocoon among the ground debris.

    Praxis porphyretica
    (Photo: courtesy of Ken Harris, Morwell Park, Victoria)

    The adult moth is grey or brown, with cream dots along the legs and antennae, and often around the wing edges. The wings each also have a number of submarginal wiggly bands and lines. The wingspan is about 4 cms.

    Praxis porphyretica
    (Photo: courtesy of Donald Hobern, Aranda, Australian Capital Territory)

    The eggs are grey and basically spherical with a minutely grooved and pitted surface. The eggs are laid in irregular clusters.

    Praxis porphyretica
    eggs, magnified
    (Photo: courtesy of Steve Williams, Moths of Victoria - Part 8)

    The species occurs in :

  • Queensland,
  • New South Wales,
  • Australian Capital Territory,
  • Victoria, and
  • Tasmania.

    Praxis porphyretica
    (Photo: courtesy of Joan Fearn, Moruya, New South Wales)

    Further reading :

    Achille Guenée,
    Hypogrammidae,
    in Boisduval & Guenée: Histoire naturelle des insectes; spécies général des lépidoptères,
    Volume 7 (1852), p. 29, No. 1355, and also Plate 18, fig. 10.

    Peter Marriott,
    Moths of Victoria - Part 8,
    Night Moths and Allies - NOCTUOIDEA(B)    ,
    Entomological Society of Victoria, 2017, pp. 14-15.

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    (updated 13 April 2013, 3 March 2014, 12 May 2020, 4 January 2021)