The sun-moths (Lepidoptera: Castniidae) of Western Australia: an inventory of distribution, larval food plants, habitat, behaviour, seasonality and conservation status

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 8 years ago

ABSTRACT – Information on the distribution, larval food plants, habitat, behaviour, flight period and conservation status is reviewed for the following sun-moth (Castniidae) species which occur in Western Australia, arranged in order: Synemon sophia species group: Synemon catocaloides Walker 1865, Synemon leucospila Meyrick 1891, Synemon maja Strand 1911, Synemon nupta Westwood 1877, Synemon sophia White 1841, Synemon sp. ‘Bob Hay’, Synemon sp. nr. discalis, Synemon sp. ‘Leeman’, Synemon sp. ‘Mount Ragged’, Synemon sp. ‘Perth’ (species group complex), Synemon sp. ‘Yarloop’. Synemon directa species group: Synemon directa Westwood 1877, Synemon sp. ‘Victoria Rock’; Synemon magnifica species group: Synemon notha Westwood 1877, Synemon sp. ‘Moirs Rock’, Synemon sp. ‘Mount Dale’, Synemon sp. ‘Ravensthorpe’. Synemon laeta species group: Synemon edwardsi Williams and Williams 2016, Synemon gratiosa Westwood 1877, Synemon jcaria R. Felder 1874. Synemon ‘grass-feeding’ species group: Synemon austera Meyrick 1891, Synemon brontias Meyrick 1891, Synemon nais Klug 1850, Synemon obscurella Westwood 1877, Synemon phaeoptila Turner 1906, Synemon wulwulam Angel 1951, Synemon sp. ‘Alan Graham’, Synemon sp. ‘Eradu’ and Synemon sp. ‘Roper River’. Their phylogeny, life cycles, threats faced, management implications and future conservation are discussed.