Mallee Looper
Eggs, dropped by S3
Ellura
Mallee Looper
Larva, 1 Day Old, 5 Ocellii
 
                 
Mallee Looper (Arhodia sp)Class: Animals (Animalia) - Jointed Legs (Arthropoda) - Insects (Insecta)
Order: Butterflies & Moths (Lepidoptera)
Family: Geometer (:Geometridae Oenochrominae)     iNaturalist Observation
Species: Mallee Looper (Arhodia sp)
This Photo:     🔍Larva, from S3 12 days later🔎
Other name: Pink Arhodia

Thank you Matt Campbell & Axel Kallies for confirming the id of this species for us

General Species Information:
Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA) and elsewhere
~17mm long for both genders. Males have large bipectinate antennae, females have nearly filiform (but do have rows of scales just visible underneath).
Currently being investigated for Eucalypt defoliation in our area. May finish up with some redescription/addition of new species by Dr Peter McQuillan
Peter said "Is a complex of multiple species yet to be resolved".
Peter & Axel noted that A. lasiocamparia occurs in wetter areas.
There may be 2 different species here as S2's flight time of Feb is inconsistent with S1 & S3 of Nov.
S3 laid eggs which hatched ~12 days later. We'll show the growth over time and hopefully get pupae & male & female offspring to display here for interest.

Copyright © 2024-2025 Brett & Marie Smith. All Rights Reserved. Photographed 04-Dec-2024
This species is an Australian Native Species, not listed in the SA Murray Mallee Survey of 2010.