Semi-looper

Description:

Erebidae; Erebinae; Ophiusini; Trigonodes hyppasia Cramer, 1779. Wikipedia's article on this moth does not include Philippines in its distribution list, but Philippine Lepidoptera includes it in its Erebinae section. So, there can be no doubt that it is documented as present here. It appears to be a very skittish moth which hides deep in tall, dense grasses. It tends to fly off as soon as it detects any movement in the surrounding vegetation. However, it seems to just fly a short distance before diving into the grasses again. If you are patient enough to follow it and approach it quietly, you will be rewarded with some pictures, but if you go crashing through the undergrowth, you will probably not get any decent shots. My first clumsy attempts failed miserably, but when I learned to approach much more quietly, I managed a few useable pictures. The last picture shown above is just to give a better idea of the habitat.

Habitat:

I spotted this Semi-looper this morning in a rice field which was not planted this season. It was left uncultivated to allow the soil to "rest". Of course, in the tropical climate of the Philippines, wild grasses and foliage rapidly takes over and this creates a haven for all manner of small creatures.

Notes:

I only have one previous spotting of Trigonodes hyppasia - https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/31...