Theretra queenslandi
Theretra queenslandi is a moth of the family Sphingidae first described by Thomas Pennington Lucas in 1891.
Theretra queenslandi | |
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Dorsal view | |
Ventral view | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Sphingidae |
Genus: | Theretra |
Species: | T. queenslandi |
Binomial name | |
Theretra queenslandi (T. P. Lucas, 1891)[1] | |
Synonyms | |
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Distribution
It is known from New South Wales, Queensland in Australia and from Papua-New-Guinea.[2]
Description
The wingspan is about 60 mm. Adults have light brown forewings with a dark stripe running from the base to the apex. There is a dark dot near the middle of the costa. The hindwings are darker brown.
Biology
The larvae feed on Dendrocnide excelsa. The early instars are green with a dark straight tail horn, and a pair of blue eye markings on the first abdominal segment. Later instars have two colour forms, green and brown. Both forms have a pair of green and white eyespots, one each side of the first abdominal segment. They have a strong reddish backward curving horn on the last segment. Pupation takes place in a slender, mottled brown pupa.
References
- "CATE Creating a Taxonomic eScience - Sphingidae". Cate-sphingidae.org. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
- Herbison-Evans, Don & Crossley, Stella (8 May 2020). "Theretra queenslandi (T.P. Lucas, 1891)". Australian Caterpillars and their Butterflies and Moths. Retrieved 21 July 2020.