Hypobapta tachyhalotaria

Hypobapta tachyhalotaria Hausmann et al., 2009
GEOMETRINAE , GEOMETRIDAE

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

(Photo: courtesy of David Hewitt, Melbourne)

This Caterpillar is green with a conical head. The caterpillars feed on :

Gum Trees ( Eucalyptus, MYRTACEAE ).

(Photo: courtesy of Rose Zhang, Sydney)

The adult moth is grey-brown with wavy lines. Tasmanian specimens are generally paler than mainland specimens. The wingspan is about 5 cms.

underside
(Photo: courtesy of David Hewitt, Melbourne)

The eggs are smooth and somewhat conical ovals. They are laid in irregular clusters.

underside
(Photo: courtesy of Rose Zhang, Sydney)

Recent DNA evidence has shown that most specimens from mainland Australia thought to be Hypobapta percomptaria are actually in a species complex currently named Hypobapta tachyhalotaria, and that Hypobapta percomptaria probably only exists in Tasmania. Thus Hypobapta tachyhalotaria is found, and probably misnamed, in

Tasmania, and

Further reading :

Axel Hausmann, Manfred Sommerer, Rodolphe Rougerie & Paul Hebert,
Hypobapta tachyhalotaria spec. nov. from Tasmania – an example of a new species revealed by DNA barcoding, Spixiana, Volume 32, Number 2 (November 2009), pp. 161-166.