Pheraspis symmetra Turner, 1917
 NOTODONTINAE,   NOTODONTIDAE,   NOCTUOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley


male
(Photo: courtesy of Simon Ong, Kununurra, Western Australia)

The Caterpillar of this species is green with two narrow pale yellow lines along each side. It has been found feeding on

  • Whitewood ( Atalaya hemiglauca, SAPINDACEAE ).

    The caterpillar grows to a length of about 5 cms. It pupates in the ground leaf litter, forming a dark brown pupa with a length of about 3 cms.


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

    The adult moths of this species are grey, with forewings that are each sometimes crossed by two dark zig-zag lines. The hindwings are pale grey shading to orange at the hind margin. The abdomen is orange on top and grey underneath. The wingspan is about 6 cms.

    The species has been found in

  • Western Australia,
  • Northern Territory,
  • Queensland,
  • New South Wales, and
  • South Australia.

    Further reading :

    Ross Kendall,
    There is still so much to learn!- Pheraspis symmetra Turner, 1917 (Notodontidae: Notodontinae),
    Metamorphosis Australia,
    Issue 64 (March 2012), pp. 31-32,
    Butterflies and Other Invertebrates Club.

    A. Jefferis Turner,
    Lepidopterological gleanings,
    Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland,
    Volume 29 (1917), pp. 73-74.

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    (updated 12 November 2012, 5 March 2017, 4 March 2018, 25 January 2021)