Heliothela ophideresana (Walker, 1863)
 (one synonym : Heliothela pusilla Butler, 1889)
HELIOTHELINI,   SCOPARIINAE,   CRAMBIDAE,   PYRALOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans,
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley


(Photo: courtesy of Graeme Cocks, Townsville, Queensland)

The adult moths of this species have a dark brown pattern with a cream coloured mark on the costa of each forewing. The hindwings are yellow with a broad brown margin, and a black spot in the middle. The wingspan is about 1.5 cm.


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

The species occurs across Africa, Asia, and Australasia including:

  • India,
  • Oman,


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

    and in Australia, where it has been caught in :

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


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

    Further reading :

    Ian F.B. Common,
    Moths of Australia,
    Melbourne University Press, 1990, fig. 33.5, p. 352.

    Buck Richardson,
    Mothology,
    LeapFrogOz, Kuranda, 2008, p. 12.

    Francis Walker,
    Crambites and Tortricites,
    List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum,
    Part 28 (1863), p. 459, No. 1.

    Paul Zborowski and Ted Edwards,
    A Guide to Australian Moths,
    CSIRO Publishing, 2007, p. 129.

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    (updated 21 January 2013, 12 December 2020)