Parepisparis rutila

Parepisparis rutila (Turner, 1947)
(previously known as Peratodactyla rutila )
OENOCHROMINAE, GEOMETRIDAE, GEOMETROIDEA

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

Parepisparis rutila
female
(Photo: courtesy of Trevor and Carol Deane, Dorrigo, New South Wales)

The adult moths of this species have off-white forewings each with scalloped margins, and each with variable dark markings, including a straight submarginal pale-edged dark line, which has a dog-leg as it approaches the hind margin. There are also three blurred brown marks on the costa, and pair of submarginal black dots part-way along the margin. The hindwings are off-white, and each crossed by several dark zigzag lines. The wingspan is about 4 cms.

The sexes are dimorphic. The females have a fat abdomen, and thread-like antennae.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Trevor and Carol Deane, Dorrigo, New South Wales)

The males have feathery antennae, a tapering abdomen, and a large black circular spot near the tornus of each forewing.

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

The species has been found in :

Queensland, and

New South Wales.

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