Westermannia gloriosa (Hampson, 1912)
 (possibly a synonym of Vestermannia superba Hübner, 1823)
CHLOEPHORINAE,   NOLIDAE,   NOCTUOIDEA,  
  
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Westermannia gloriosa
early instar
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Julatten, Queensland)

The early instars of the Caterpillars of this species are green with yellow spots on the back and sides of each segment, a yellow line along each side of the back, and a large yellowish-green head. The first pair of prolegs is atrophied.

Westermannia gloriosa
late instar
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Julatten, Queensland)

Later instars develop a red stripe on each side of the head.

Westermannia gloriosa
late instar: head close-up
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Julatten, Queensland)

The caterpillars have been found feeding on

  • Damson Plum (Terminalia sericocarpa, COMBRETACEAE), and
  • Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica, LYTHRACEAE).

    Westermannia gloriosa
    pupa in opened cocoon
    (Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Julatten, Queensland)

    The caterpillars grow to a length of about 3 cms. They pupate in a cocoon spun amongst the ground litter. The pupa is brown, and covered in a waxy white powder. The pupa has a length of about 2 cms.

    Westermannia gloriosa
    (Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Julatten, Queensland)

    This species has adult moths with dark brown forewings each with a winding white band across the middle.

    Westermannia gloriosa
    (Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Julatten, Queensland)

    The hindwings are off-white, with dark brown margins. The wingspan is about 4.5 cms.

    Westermannia gloriosa
    underside
    (Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Julatten, Queensland)

    The species has been found in

  • India,
  • New Guinea,

    and also in Australia in

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

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

    Westermannia gloriosa
    male, drawing by George Francis Hampson,    ,
    Catalogue of Lepidoptera Phalænæ in the British Museum,
    Noctuidæ, Volume XI (1912), Plate CLXXXIX, figure 32,
    image courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library, digitized by Ernst Mayr Library, Harvard University.

    Further reading :

    George F. Hampson,
    Catalogue of the Noctuidae in the Collection of the British Museum,
    Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalænæ in the British Museum,
    Volume 11 (1912), p. 606, No. 7026, and also Plate 189, figure 32.

    Buck Richardson,
    Tropical Queensland Wildlife from Dusk to Dawn Science and Art,
    LeapFrogOz, Kuranda, 2015, p. 170.

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    (updated 9 August 2011, 28 August 2019, 23 April 2020, 2 July 2021)