Tiger Cup Moth
Face
Ellura
Tiger Cup Moth
Body
 
                      
Tiger Cup Moth (Anaxidia lactea)Class: Animals (Animalia) - Jointed Legs (Arthropoda) - Insects (Insecta)
Order: Butterflies & Moths (Lepidoptera)
Family: Cup Moth (:Zygaenoidea Limacodidae)     iNaturalist Observation
Species: Tiger Cup Moth (Anaxidia lactea)
This Photo:     Anterior

Thank you Dr Bevan Buirchell for confirming the id of this species for us

General Species Information:
Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA) and elsewhere
~17mm long, ~38mm wingspan. Limacodidae (this family) males have bipectinate antennae & females have ciliated (fine, hairy); would look filiform to the naked eye. Interestingly we have never found a female Limacodidae, and can't find any photo's of a female of this species.
A very distinctive moth with a "lighting flash" black line near the trailing edge of the wings; and very fury looking like other cup moths. The rest of both wings are a plain sandy brown; which makes sense as they are an arid species.
The real surprise is underneath with bright orange & black striped legs, orange striped body & orange highlights around the face. The antennae bases are covered in an orange tuft. The short scales making the orange body stripes are covered with long sandy brown scales; making the orange stripes nearly visible.

Copyright © 2017-2024 Brett & Marie Smith. All Rights Reserved. Photographed 16-Dec-2017
This species is an Australian Native Species, not listed in the SA Murray Mallee Survey of 2010.