Earias perhuegeli

Earias perhuegeli Holloway 1977
CHLOEPHORINAE , NOLIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

Earias perhuegeli
(Photo: courtesy of Donald Hobern, Aranda)

The caterpillars of this species feed on the young shoots, flowers, and seed pods of their foodplant. They are a pest on :

Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum, MALVACEAE ),

and also have been found on :

Australian Native Cotton ( Gossypium australe, MALVACEAE ),

Creeping Cotton ( Gossypium populifolium, MALVACEAE ),

Yellow Hibiscus ( Hibiscus panduriformis, MALVACEAE ),

Venice Mallow ( Hibiscus trionum, MALVACEAE ),

Desert Rose ( Alyogyne hakeifolia, MALVACEAE ),

Desert Lantern Bush ( Abutilon otocarpum, MALVACEAE ),

Australian Native Rosella ( Abelmoschus ficulneus, MALVACEAE ), and also

Australian Boab ( Adansonia gregorii, BOMBACACEAE ).

The adult moths are pale brown with arcs of dark spots across each forewing. The wingspan is about 2 cms. The species has been considered to be a variant of Earias huegeliana, despite the difference in forewing pattern and coloration.

The species has been found over the southern Pacific, including:

Cook Islands,

Society Island,

Tahiti,
and most of Australia, including

Australian Capital Territory, and

South Australia.