''Utetheisa pulchelloides'', the heliotrope moth, is a moth of the family

Erebidae The Erebidae are a family of moths in the superfamily Noctuoidea. The family is among the largest families of moths by species count and contains a wide variety of well-known macromoth groups. The family includes the underwings ('' Catocala'') ...

. It is found in the Indo-Australian region including Borneo, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Papua, Seychelles, most of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and Tenerife. The species was first described by George Hampson in 1907. Adults undertake extensive and frequent migratory flights and can reach the most remote oceanic islands, such as Henderson Island and Ducie Island.

Description

Hindwing of male with no fold or glandular tuft on inner margin. Head and thorax yellowish. Collar and tegula each with two black spots. Each thoracic segment with one each black spot. Third joint of palpi black and abdomen whitish. Forewing white with five interrupted scarlet bands with series of black spots between them. A marginal series of black spots present. Hindwings are semi-diaphanous white, but some specimen with black on the discocellulars. A very irregular black sub-marginal band, broad at apical area and between veins 1b and 3. Larva dark grey with a dorsal white band and sub-dorsal series of red spots. Head yellow. It pupates in a loose cocoon that spun in the leaf litter on the ground below the food plant.

Ecology

The larvae feed on '' Argusia argentea'', ''

Echium plantagineum ''Echium plantagineum'', commonly known as purple viper's-bugloss or Patterson's curse, is a species of the genus ''Echium'' native to western and southern Europe (from southern England south to Iberia and east to the Crimea), northern Africa, a ...

'', '' Heliotropium arborescens'' and '' Myosotis arvensis''.

Subspecies

* ''Utetheisa pulchelloides pulchelloides'' Hampson, 1907 (Chagos Islands, Seychelles, Amirantes and Cargados Carajos Islands) * ''Utetheisa pulchelloides aphanis'' Jordan, 1939 (islands south-east of New Guinea) * ''Utetheisa pulchelloides darwini'' Jordan, 1939 (Cocos (Keeling) Islands) * ''Utetheisa pulchelloides marshallorum'' Rothschild, 1910 (Marshall Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Swain's Island, Tonga, Tokelau Islands, Phoenix Islands, Tuvalu, Gilbert Islands, Wake Island, Cook Islands, Line Islands, Tuamotu Archipelago, Henderson Island) * ''Utetheisa pulchelloides papuana'' Jordan, 1939 (New Guinea) * ''Utetheisa pulchelloides umata'' Jordan, 1939 (Guam) * ''Utetheisa pulchelloides vaga'' Jordan, 1939 (China: Guangdong, Guanxi, Yunnan; Taiwan; Madagascar; islands of the Indian Ocean; Sri-Lanka; south-east Asia; Moluccas; Australia; New Zealand) ''

Utetheisa salomonis ''Utetheisa salomonis'' is a disputed moth species of the family Erebidae. It is found on the Loyalty Islands, the New Hebrides, the Solomon Islands, New Britain, Fiji and New Caledonia. ''Utetheisa pectinata ''Utetheisa pectinata'' is a mot ...

'' (including the former ''

Utetheisa pectinata ''Utetheisa pectinata'' is a moth of the family Erebidae first described by George Hampson in 1907. It is found on the islands of Arafura Sea (Moa, Dammer, Tiandoe and Tam, Tenimber, Little Key) and in Australia Australia, officially ...

ruberrima'') may also belong into this species.

Gallery

Image:Utetheisa_pulchelloides.jpg Image:Utetheisa_pulchelloides_dorsal.jpg, Dorsal view Image:Utetheisa pulchelloides ventral.jpg, Ventral view Image:Utetheisa pulchelloides head.jpg, Head

References

pulchelloides Moths of Japan Moths of Mauritius Moths of Seychelles Moths of Réunion Moths of New Zealand Moths of Madagascar Moths of Australia Moths of Indonesia Moths described in 1907 {{Callimorphina-stub