Sun Moths - FAMILY CASTNIIDAE
- This page contains pictures and information about Sun Moths that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- They fly during the day and have clubbed antenna, but they are not butterflies. They are Sun Moths. A family of moths that active during the day. They usually have dull brown forewings but bright colour hind wings.
- Their caterpillars are hardly be seen for they tunnel in soil. They feed on roots of different kinds of grasses. Their life cycle takes 2 to 3 years.
- We found only one species of Sun Moth.
- Male, body length 22mm
- In fact all Sun Moths found in Australia are in genus Synemon. We found this moth flying actively during the day in Alexandra Hill. The moth has clubbed antennae like a butterfly. Its front wings are dark brown in colour with patterns. When flying, we saw its bright orange colour hind wings.
- We also found this Sun Moth in Karawatha Forest during mid summer. They seem like to rest on grass stem, where they did not camouflage with the background very well.
- Most Sun Moth caterpillar feed on grass root under ground. This species of Caterpillars feed inside the culm of the foodplant, Spiny Headed Mat Rush ( Lomandra longifoliaat), at ground level.
- Female, body length 20mm
- We saw this female Sun Moth once in Karawatha Forest during mid summer. It was resting on the foot path. When we came too closely, it flied to another spot on the ground a few meter away. When rest, it showed part of its hind wings which were bright orange in colour. The bottom side of its wings were also in bright orange colour.
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- Reference:
- 1. Synemon laeta Walker, 1854 - Don Herbison-Evans and Dave Britton & Stella Crossley
- 2. A Guide to Australian Moths - Paul Zborowski, Ted Edwards, CSIRO PUBLISHING, 2007, p104.
Sun Moths - Synemon laeta
