Some larger Moths of Australia which rest

HEAD POINTING DOWN

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

A number of Australian Lepidoptera rest with their head pointing down, which seems upside-down to us. The ecological benefit of this odd behaviour is usually unclear and still a puzzle.

ADULT MOTHS

head down

micro-moths

EREBIDAE

Buzara frontinus

EREBINAE

Donuca lanipes

CATOCALINI

Grammodes justa

EREBINAE

Grammodes ocellata

EREBINAE

GEOMETRIDAE

Luxiaria ochrophara

ENNOMINAE

Chrysolarentia argocyma

LARENTIINAE

Chrysolarentia chrysocyma

LARENTIINAE

Chrysolarentia conifasciata

LARENTIINAE

Chrysolarentia correlata

LARENTIINAE

Chrysolarentia heliacaria

LARENTIINAE

Chrysolarentia insulsata

LARENTIINAE

Chrysolarentia perornata

LARENTIINAE

Chrysolarentia symphona

LARENTIINAE

Chrysolarentia vicissata

LARENTIINAE

Melitulias oriadelpha

LARENTIINAE

Adeixis inostentata

OENOCHROMINAE

Eumelea rosalia

OENOCHROMINAE

NOCTUIDAE

Agarista agricola

AGARISTINAE

Cruria donowani

AGARISTINAE

Cruria synopla

AGARISTINAE

Eutrichopidia latinus

AGARISTINAE

TORTRICIDAE

Mictoneura flexanimana

TORTRICINAE

LARVAE and PUPAE

GEOMETRIDAE

Dysphania numana

GEOMETRINAE
The advantage of this behaviour for this species is that the pendulus larvae are easily mistaken for catkin flowers.

Australian
Australian Butterflies
butterflies
Australian
home
Lepidoptera
Australian
Australian Moths
moths
head-up

micro-moths
Australian

micro-moths
moths in

GELECHIOIDEA

(written 6 February 2024, updated 2 August 2024)