AGARISTINAE in Australia Day-Flying Moths, Whistling Moths NOCTUIDAE,   NOCTUOIDEA

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

AGARISTINAE eggs

AGARISTINAE caterpillars

AGARISTINAE pupae

AGARISTINAE moths

AGARISTINAE undersides

AGARISTINAE forewings

Sometimes this is listed as a family AGARISTIDAE, but here, following Nielsen et al., we list it as a sub-family of NOCTUIDAE.

The Caterpillars of members of AGARISTINAE are distinguished by their bright colours, and their habit of feeding exposed in daytime. Many Caterpillars have a brightly coloured dorsal hump. The distinctive markings suggest that they are protected by warning ( aposematic ) coloration. The pupa is usually formed in the soil without a cocoon. The adults are called "Day Moths" because they fly in daylight hours. In this way they differ from most other moths. The adult moths themselves are distinctively marked in black and white, and may too be protected by aposematic coloration.

The 44 named Australian species in AGARISTINAE are:

Agarista agricola : Joseph's Coat Moth

Agaristodes feisthamelii : Alpine Day-moth

Apina callisto : Pasture Day-moth

Argyrolepidia aequalis
Argyrolepidia fractus
Argyrolepidia thoracophora

Burgena varia

Coenotoca subaspersa : Rainforest Vine Day-moth
Coenotoca unimacula

Comocrus behri : Mistletoe Day-moth

Cremnophora angasii : Crimson Beauty

Cruria donowani : Crow or Donovan's Day-moth
Cruria epicharita
Cruria kochii
Cruria latifascia
Cruria synopla : Forest Day-moth
Cruria tropica

Eutrichopidia latinus : Yellow-banded Day-moth

Hecatesia fenestrata : Common Whistling Moth
Hecatesia exultans : Small Whistling Moth
Hecatesia thyridion : Southern Whistling Moth

Idalima aethrias
Idalima affinis : Eastern Speckled Day-moth
Idalima leonora
Idalima metasticta
Idalima tasso

Ipanica cornigera : Laced Day-moth

Leucogonia cosmopis
Leucogonia ekeikei

Mimeusemia centralis
Mimeusemia econia
Mimeusemia simplex

Periopta ardescens
Periopta diversa

Periscepta butleri
Periscepta polysticta : Spotted Day-moth

Phalaenoides glycinae : Vine Day-moth
Phalaenoides tristifica : Willow-herb Day-moth

Platagarista macleayi : Macleay's Day-moth

Radinocera maculosus
Radinocera vagata

Zalissa catocalina
Zalissa pratti
Zalissa stichograpta

previous NOCTUIDAE family

Australian butterflies

Australian Lepidoptera

Australian moths

next NOCTUIDAE subfamily

(written 29 March 2015, updated 30 July 2023)