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.

head down micro-moths

ADULT MACRO-MOTHS

ANTHELIDAE

Anthela canescens

EREBIDAE

Eublemma cochylioides BOLETOBIINAE

Eublemma roseana BOLETOBIINAE

Phytometra formosalis BOLETOBIINAE

Donuca lanipes CATOCALINI

Donuca orbigera CATOCALINI

Buzara frontinus EREBINAE

Grammodes justa EREBINAE

Grammodes ocellata EREBINAE

Grammodes oculicola EREBINAE

GEOMETRIDAE

Casbia pallens ENNOMINAE

Luxiaria ochrophara ENNOMINAE

Anachloris subochraria LARENTIINAE	Chrysolarentia argocyma LARENTIINAE	Chrysolarentia chrysocyma LARENTIINAE	Chrysolarentia conifasciata LARENTIINAE
Chrysolarentia correlata LARENTIINAE	Chrysolarentia heliacaria LARENTIINAE	Chrysolarentia insulsata LARENTIINAE	Chrysolarentia interruptata LARENTIINAE
Chrysolarentia lucidulata LARENTIINAE	Chrysolarentia perornata LARENTIINAE	Chrysolarentia persimilis LARENTIINAE	Chrysolarentia polyxantha LARENTIINAE
Chrysolarentia symphona LARENTIINAE	Chrysolarentia vicissata LARENTIINAE	Melitulias graphicata LARENTIINAE	Melitulias oriadelpha LARENTIINAE
Adeixis inostentata OENOCHROMINAE	Dichromodes estigmaria OENOCHROMINAE	Dichromodes oriphoetes OENOCHROMINAE	Dichromodes stilbiata OENOCHROMINAE

Eumelea rosalia OENOCHROMINAE

NOCTUIDAE

Agarista agricola AGARISTINAE

Cruria donowani AGARISTINAE

Cruria synopla AGARISTINAE

Eutrichopidia latinus AGARISTINAE

NOLIDAE

Nola flexanimana NOLINAE

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 butterflies

Australian Lepidoptera

Australian moths

head-up micro-moths

Australian micro-moths

moths in GELECHIOIDEA

(written 6 February 2024, updated 10 August 2025)