Pasture day moth
species of insect
The pasture day moth (Apina callisto) is a species in the moth family Noctuidae which is active during the day, as its common name implies, making it unlike most other noctuid species. It is found in most southern areas of Australia, ranging from lower Queensland to Tasmania. The species was first described by George French Angas in 1847. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Apina, erected by Francis Walker in 1855.
The pasture day moth lays its eggs in pastures, and they hatch after heavy rains in early spring. When the larvae are fully grown, measuring about 60 mm (2.4 in), they burrow down before becoming pupae. They have striking coloration; two yellow stripes run down their mottled-black back, interspersed with blue spots. Their bodies are covered with white spines. They feed on various broad leaved plants (see list below).
The adult moth's wings are black with cream and chestnut markings, with a wingspan of approximately 50 mm (2.0 in).
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This entry incorporates text from “Pasture day moth” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.