Amyna natalis

Amyna natalis, the ilima moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It was first described by Francis Walker in 1858. It is widespread from tropical Asia into northern Australia. It is an introduced species in Hawaii, where it is found on Oahu.

Amyna natalis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Amyna
Species:
A. natalis
Binomial name
Amyna natalis
(Walker, 1858)
Synonyms
  • Berresa turpis Walker, 1858
  • Berresa natalis Walker, 1858
  • Miana palpalis Walker, 1865
  • Mesotrosta abyssa Snellen, 1880
  • Berresa meeki Bethune-Baker, 1906

Description

The wingspan of the male is 20 mm and of the female is 26 mm. Body dull brown. Forewings with indistinct sub-basal, antemedial, postmedial and sub-marginal single waved lines with a few grey scales on them. Reniform represented by a small spot. Abdomen and hindwings are fuscous. Abdomen with an indistinct postmedial line.[1]

Waltheria americana

Ecology

Larvae have been recorded on Abutilon incanum, Sida cordifolia, Sida fallax, Sida rhombifolia and Waltheria americana. The caterpillars are green loopers.[2]

Bioacoustics

Males have been observed producing a continuous ultrasonic song of high intensity (about 102 dB SPL measured at a distance of 10 cm). During song production the animals were perching on plants and moving their wings up and down quickly. Simultaneously, by twisting the wings it seems likely that a male-specific bubble in the forewing functions as a tymbal, resulting in sound production. The sound production may be associated with the release of a pheromone from putative scent-disseminating structures on the underside of the forewing tymbal.[3][4]

References
  1. Hampson, G. F. (1894). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Volume II. Taylor and Francis – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  2. Herbison-Evans, Don & Crossley, Stella (10 August 2012). "Amyna natalis (Walker, 1859)". Australian Caterpillars and their Butterflies and Moths. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  3. "The ultrasonic song of the moth Amyna natalis (Lepidoptera: Noctudidae: Acontiinae)". Bioacoustics. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  4. "The ultrasonic song of the moth Amyna natalis Lepidoptera Noctuidae Acontiinae". Retrieved 3 August 2016.


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