Chora huntei

Chora huntei (Warren, 1903)
(one synonym: Carea plagioscia Turner, 1903)
CAREINI, CHLOEPHORINAE, NOLIDAE, NOCTUOIDEA,

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

Chora huntei
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Julatten, Queensland)

This Caterpillar is quite unusual as it has a large rounded swelling at the back of the thorax, and a pair of horns on the tail. The caterpillar is basically brown with a few white dots, and a pale line along each side of the back. Th tail horns are black. The caterpillars have been found feeding on various plant species in MYRTACEAE, including

Bamaga Satinash ( Syzygium tierneyanum ), and

Golden Penda ( Xanthostemon chrysanthus ).

cocoon
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Julatten, Queensland)

The caterpillar pupates in papery white cocoon between joined leaves of its foodplant.

pupa
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Julatten, Queensland)

The pupa inside is off-white underneath, shading to brown on top.

female
(Specimen: courtesy of Paul Dangerfield, Jane Royer, and Aurea King,
Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries,
and Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The adult female moths of this species have patchy grey and brown forewings, each with a subtle pattern including a straightish submarginal line. The wingspan is about 5 cms.

female
Photo: courtesy of Buck Richardson, from
Tropical Queensland Wildlife from Dusk to Dawn Science and Art

The adult male moths also have brown forewings, each with a subtle pattern including a straightish diagonal line. The wingspan is about 4 cms.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Carol and Trevor Deane, Whyanbeel, Queensland)

The forewing costa, termen, and hind-margin of both sexes are all sinuously curved. The hindwings of both sexes each have a concave bite out of the tornus. The hindwings are plain greyish brown.

female
(Specimen: courtesy of Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The species has been found overseas in

Indonesia,

New Guinea,

male
(Photo: courtesy of Bart Hacobian, Millaa Millaa, Queensland)

The species has been found in Australia in

Queensland.

male, underside
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Julatten, Queensland)

male, drawing by George Francis Hampson,
Catalogue of Lepidoptera Phalćnć in the British Museum,
Noctuidć, Volume XI (1912), Plate CLXXXVIII, figure 25,
image courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library, digitized by Ernst Mayr Library, Harvard University.