Agarista agricola, Joseph's coat moth[2][3] or painted vine moth,[1] is a medium-sized moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Edward Donovan in 1805 (as Papilio agricola).[4][1]
| Agarista agricola | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea |
| Family: | Noctuidae |
| Genus: | Agarista |
| Species: | A. agricola
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| Binomial name | |
| Agarista agricola (Donovan, 1805)
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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Distribution
editPapua New Guinea and Australia (Queensland, Northern Territory, New South Wales, Victoria).[2][5]
Description and behaviour
editCaterpillars grow up to 7 cm. Early instar caterpillars are green and brown, with sparse hairs that are spiky in shape. As they grow, they come to feature orange feet and head, are banded predominantly black and white with two orange bands (respectively on the final abdominal segment and on the mesothorax) and the sparse hairs become club-shaped with white tips. Before pupation, the white bands turn orange. Caterpillars pupate on branches, in cocoons covered by chewed pieces of bark.[2]
Adult moths are diurnal and have black wings with yellow, red, white and blue markings. The species is sexually dimorph, with males smaller than females and having a smaller white patch at the base of the forewings. Wingspan approximately 5 cm for males and 7 cm for females.[2]
Food plants
editCaterpillars of Agarista agricola feed on vines of multiple Vitaceae species: Cissus opaca, Cayratia clematidea, Vitis vinifera.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Species: Agarista agricola (Painted Vine Moth)". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Herbison-Evans, Don; Crossley, Stella. "Agarista agricola". Australian Caterpillars and their Butterflies and Moths. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "Metamorphosis". stories.uq.edu.au. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ Donovan, E. (1805). An epitome of the natural history of the insects of New Holland, New Zealand, New Guinea, Otaheite, and other islands in the Indian, Southern, and Pacific oceans. London. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "Agarista agricola". Australian Moths Online. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
External links
edit
Media related to Agarista agricola at Wikimedia Commons
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