Plecoptera reflexa Guenée, 1852
CALPINAE,   EREBIDAE,   NOCTUOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Plecoptera reflexa
(Photo: courtesy of Simon Ong, Durack, Western Australia)

The Caterpillars of this species are green with white stripes, and a yellow head. The caterpillars are missing two pairs of prolegs, so walk in a looper fashion. The caterpillars have been found feeding on the foliage of

  • Rosewoods ( Dalbergia species, FABACEAE ).

    Plecoptera reflexa
    (Photo: courtesy of Simon Ong, Durack, Western Australia)

    The adult moths have brown forewings with two dark marks on the costa, one small and one large, and a vague wavy submarginal line, separating a marginal area of a different shade. The hindwings are plain brown shading darker at the margins. The wingspan is about 2.5 cms.

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

    The species is endemic in the Middle East and Asia, including:

  • India, and
  • Israel,

    The species has recently invaded Australia, and now (2020) is found in:

  • Western Australia,
  • Northern Territory, and
  • Queensland.

    The genus Plecoptera is incorrect for this species, but an appropriate genus has yet to be found for it.

    Plecoptera reflexa
    underside
    (Photo: courtesy of Simon Ong, Durack, Western Australia)


    Further reading :

    Achille Guenée,
    Noctuélites,
    in Boisduval & Guenée:
    Histoire Naturelle des Insectes; Spécies Général des Lépidoptères,
    Volume 9, Part 5 (1852), pp. 430-431, No. 1303.


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    (written 24 October 2020)