''Synemon collecta'', the striated sun moth, is a

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of ...

in the family

Castniidae Castniidae, or castniid moths, is a small family of moths with fewer than 200 species: The majority are Neotropical with some in Australia and a few in south-east Asia. These are medium-sized to very large moths, usually with drab, cryptically ...

. The species was first described by

Charles Swinhoe Colonel Charles Swinhoe (27 August 1838, in CalcuttaAlthough many published sources give 1836, the India Office Records note it as 1838 (), the other year being that of his brother Robert. – 2 December 1923) was an English naturalist and lepi ...

in 1892. It is found in Australia, including Victoria,

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

. The population in Victoria might represent an undescribed allied species. The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan ...

is about 39 mm for males and 41 mm for females. Adults have brown forewings and bright yellow hindwings. The common name refers to the whitish striations and markings found on the upperside of the forewings. Adults are on wing from late December to mid-January. The larvae feed on the roots of various grass species, including '' Austrodanthonia laevis'' and other '' Austrodanthonia'' species."Five threatened Victorian Sunmoths (''Synemon'' species)"
/ref> They spend most of their life underground.

References

Moths described in 1892 Castniidae {{Castniidae-stub