Hemithea wuka

Hemithea wuka (Pagenstecher, 1886)
(formerly known as Jodis wuka)
GEOMETRINAE, GEOMETRIDAE, GEOMETROIDEA

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

(Photo: courtesy of Buck Richardson, Kuranda, Queensland)

The adult moths of this species are green, with two white interrupted wiggly lines across each wing. The hindwings each have an angular margin. The wings have white and brown checkered margins, and a white and brown pattern along the forewing costa.

listed as Hemithea iosoma
(Photo: courtesy of David Polluck and the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

The abdomen has a white dorsal stripe, and some specimens have white and brown dorsal markings on some abdominal segments. The wingspan is about 3 cms.

listed as Hemithea vulcanensis
(Photo: courtesy of David Polluck and the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

The species occurs in the oriental tropics, including :

Borneo,

New Guinea,

Thailand,

as well as in Australia in

Queensland, and

Western Australia.

listed as Hemithea mapsaurica
(Photo: courtesy of David Polluck and the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

The similarity of the male genitalia of this species to that of Hemithea doddi has led to the suggestion that the two species are synonymous. In the Checklist, six synonyms for Hemithea wuka were proposed, namely

Hemithea australis L.B. Prout, 1933,

Hemithea isabella L.B. Prout, 1917,

Hemithea mapsaurica L.B. Prout, 1933,

Hemithea pictifimbria Warren, 1896,

Hemithea vulcanensis L.B. Prout, 1933, and

Nemoria iosoma (Meyrick, 1889).

listed as Hemithea pictifimbria
(Photo: courtesy of David Polluck and the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)