Pingasa cinerea

Pingasa cinerea Warren, 1894
Tan-spotted Grey
(erroneously: Pingasia singularis)
GEOMETRINAE, GEOMETRIDAE, GEOMETROIDEA

Pingasa cinerea
(Photo: copyright of Catherine J. Young)

These caterpillars are pale brown and covered in spiky warts.

(Photo: copyright of Catherine J. Young)

The adult moths of this species are various shades of grey-brown with a wavy pattern of darker markings, and a wingspan of about 3 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of Trevor Jinks, North Burnett, Queensland)

Its claim to fame is its extraordinary resting posture, with forewings dislocated to point forward.

underside
(Photo: courtesy of Trevor Jinks, North Burnett, Quieensland)

The eggs are white, smooth, and oval.

eggs, magnified
(Photo: copyright of Catherine J. Young)

The species is found over south-eastern Australia, including:

(Photo: courtesy of Trevor Jinks, North Burnett)

Further reading :

Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia,
Melbourne University Press, 1990, fig. 37.8, plate 26.15, p. 372.

Peter Marriott,
Moths of Victoria: Part 4,
Emeralds and Allies - GEOMETROIDEA (B),
Entomological Society of Victoria, 2012, pp. 30-31.

William Warren,
New genera and species of Geometridae,
Novitates Zoologicae,
Volume 1, Part 2 (1894), p. 382.

Australian
Australian Butterflies

Australian
Australian Moths

(updated 9 June 2010, 27 January 2018, 28 April 2021)