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Noctuidae 
    
CATOCALINAE 
Discolor Noctuid Moth
Black Triangle Moths
White-striped Noctuid
4-Triangled Noctuid
Rectangular-stripedNoctuid
Narrow-eyedStripedNoctuid
Triangular-striped Moth
 
ACONTIINAE
Bird-dropping Moth 
 
 
 
 
ACRONICTINAE
Green Blotched Moth
Cluster Caterpillar
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Affinis Dayflying Moth
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Joseph's Coat Moth  
 
 
 
 

                                               

Genus Donuca - White Banded Moths

Family Noctuidae, Subfamily CATOCALINAE

This page contains pictures and information about White Banded Moths - Genus Donuca that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
 
The moths in this genus are large in size. As their common name implied, most of them have the white band across wings. They also have a large eye spot on each forewing. The bright orange coloured abdomen is covered by wings when rest, only be seen during flight. 
 
We noticed that these White Banded Moths like to rest on large trunk about half a meter about ground during the day, usually where are not far away from the creek. When disturbed, they suddenly open their wings, show the bright colour abdomen and quickly fly away.  
 
Not much is known about their caterpillars.

Zigzag White Banded Noctuid
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Donuca lanipes, wingspan 60mm
Jan 2008, we saw this large spectacular moth in Karawatha Forest She-Oak area. It was resting near the base of a large but dead tree trunk. We only found this moth once. Please check this page for more information.
 
 
Tooth White Banded Noctuid
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Donuca orbigera, wingspan 50mm
This White Banded Noctuid Moths are quite common in the Alexandra Hill Bushland and Karawatha Forest during late summer. In day time they hide among grasses or on tree trunk near the ground. When disturbed, they quickly fly away to another spot few meters away. They have the eye-spots and teeth pattern on the upper side of their wings, resemble a big mouth predator. More pictures and information please visit this page.
 
 
Double White Banded Noctuid
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Donuca rubropicta, wingspan 70mm
This moth is brown in colour with bright red abdomen. There are the eye marks on both forewings. There are two white strips across the forewings and hind wings. We found a few times this moth hiding on a tree trunk near the floor during the day. More information and pictures please click here.
 
 
Brown White Banded Noctuid
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Donuca castalia, wingspan 45mm 
This moth is dark brown in colour. Although it does not have the white band, it is in Donuca genus and we still call it White Banded Moth. There are the eyespot marks on both forewings. Please check this page for more pictures and information. 
 
 

Reference:
1. Insects of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University Press, 2nd Edition 1991, p912.  
2. Moths of Australia - I. F. B. Common, Melbourne University Press, 1990, p454.
3. CATOCALINAE in Australia - Don Herbison-Evans & Stella Crossley, 2007. 

Up ] Tricolour Noctuid Moth ] Cotton Looper Moth ] Granny's Cloak Moth ] Brown Noctuid Moth ] Common Brown Noctuid Moth ] Poinciana Looper Moth ] Sugarcane Looper ] Triple-banded Moth ] Discolor Noctuid Moth ] Block Triangle Moths ] Croton Caterpillar ] Achaea Caterpillar ] Guava Moth ] Parcemacula Moth - Ophiusa parcemacula ] [ White Banded Moths ] Erebus Moth ]

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Last updated: April 22, 2009.