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Lyssa sp.
A large moth (the wingspan is 100-160 mm). Family Uraniidae. There are 2 Lyssa sp. on the Papua list: Lyssa macleayi and L. toxopeusi.
Found in a government office building stairwell during daylight hours.
Looks as if the camera's sepia setting was inadvertently switched on. The moth was very dark, like dark chocolate.
Lyssa Genus is most spectacular in Moths... Right honor for this spotting... Congrats Scott....!!
Congratulations Scott, this beauty has been chosen to represent the moths of Australasia in the blog today! http://blog.projectnoah.org/
Well looking at ranges, menoetius and zampa don't seem to be found in Papua. L. macleayi is at least nearby. I've now seen a reference to Lyssa toxopeusi in Papua...
Hmm, I have looked to Macleayi before as well, but was not happy with it. If you look on the forewing, in Macleayi there is usually a clearly separated area with a black/dark stripe/area next to the white stripe followed by a slightly brighter area, best seen here:
http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au...
and in your link: http://www.ccwild.com/blog/?page_id=1022...
and here (scroll down, only a smaller picture below): http://www.leapfrogoz.com.au/LeapFrogOz/...
And in all these links the white stripe is broader than in the one from Scott!
This might be an important criteria to separate!?
In this shot you can't see this "tricolored" forewings, but again the broader stripe: http://www1.ala.org.au/gallery2/v/Uranii...
OK, folks, that's what my eyes see! What do you think? And what about Scott? He has to take the final decision ;-)...
I think this might also be Lyssa menoetius? Zampa should have some brighter areas next to the white stripe on the forewing. But I am not sure, just a little to think about... What do you mean??
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_qu...
http://www.jpmoth.org/Uraniidae/Uraniina...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8981098@N07...
Spotted on Sep 10, 2011
Submitted on Sep 10, 2011
+1
