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Lily Caterpillar Moth

Spodoptera picta

Description:

The Lily Caterpillar Moth belongs to the family Noctuidae, and is found in the oriental region of India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, and Philippines. Approx. 30mm in length, and wingspan approx. 40mm. The forewings are buff white with a pattern of red and black markings. The hindwings are plain buff coloured, and the body is brown. Forelegs are very fluffy. It is a very attractive moth. See links for caterpillar images. They grow to a length of about 50mm.

Habitat:

Spotted on my car during daylight hours. Car park area floodlit at night. Wetland area nearby. The larvae feed on Crinum asiaticum, Crinum pedonculatum, Clivea miniata, Hymenocallis littoralis, and Hippeastrum species. They pupate with no cocoon in the soil near the food plant. Common in NSW and QLD.

Notes:

Many thanks to PN Rangers Leuba Ridgway and Mark Ridgway for the spotting ID.

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Noctuid moth
Spodoptera picta Spodoptera picta


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2 Comments

Neil Ross
Neil Ross 5 years ago

Thanks, Leuba and Mark. Much appreciated.

Leuba Ridgway
Leuba Ridgway 5 years ago

Beautiful ! Mark gave me the ID.

Neil Ross
Spotted by
Neil Ross

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Spotted on May 31, 2018
Submitted on May 31, 2018

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