Black Striked Snout Moth
S3, Male, dorsal, tenting
Ellura
Black Striked Snout Moth
S5, Female, dorsal
 
                      
Black Striked Snout Moth (Symphyta MoV2)Class: Animals (Animalia) - Jointed Legs (Arthropoda) - Insects (Insecta)
Order: Butterflies & Moths (Lepidoptera)
Family: Snout Moth (:Bombycoidea Lasiocampidae)     iNaturalist Observation
Species: Black Striked Snout Moth (Symphyta MoV2)
This Photo:     S4, Male, dorsal

General Species Information:
Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA) and elsewhere
1st Live Photo on-line:
This is figured in Moths of Victoria (MoV) part 1 as Symphyta sp. (2)
The female was larger with head & body ~17mm, wingspan ~38mm. Males have head & body ~15mm, wingspan ~31mm.
While both genders have bipectinate antennae, you can see from the photo's the males have much larger antennae (in proportion to body size) than the females. Also notice the males have a much more contrasting colour scheme with blacks & whites, rather than the more drab greys & browns of the female.
Very similar to Symphyta oxygramma; the differences are unclear. It seems S. oxygramma has brown antennae pectinations while this one has black pectinations. S. oxygramma is known from Broken Hill NSW & WA, indicating NW Victoria & the arid regions of SA are also likely locations for it to be found.
Similar to the Genduara subnotata above, these have thin, translucent wings.

Copyright © 2018-2024 Brett & Marie Smith. All Rights Reserved. Photographed 18-May-2018
This species is an Australian Native Species, not listed in the SA Murray Mallee Survey of 2010.