Synemon parthenoides
Encyclopedia
The Orange-spotted Sunmoth or Link Moth (Synemon parthenoides) is a moth
in the Castniidae
family. It is found in Australia
, including Victoria
, Western Australia
and South Australia
.
The wingspan
is about 35 mm for males and 44 mm for females. The upperside of the forewings is blackish-grey, with small black and white markings that are more pronounced in the females. The undersides of the forewings are boldly patterned in black and orange and have a few obscure whitish markings toward their apices. The upperside of the hindwings is black with bright orange spots and markings. The hindwing undersides are similar except that there are also a few indistinct whitish markings near their apices.
The larvae feed on the tussocks of Lepidosperma carphoides. They are pale pink.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
in the Castniidae
Castniidae
Castniidae, or castniid moths, is a small family of moths with less 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-marked forewings and brightly coloured hindwings. They...
family. It is found in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, including Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
and South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is about 35 mm for males and 44 mm for females. The upperside of the forewings is blackish-grey, with small black and white markings that are more pronounced in the females. The undersides of the forewings are boldly patterned in black and orange and have a few obscure whitish markings toward their apices. The upperside of the hindwings is black with bright orange spots and markings. The hindwing undersides are similar except that there are also a few indistinct whitish markings near their apices.
The larvae feed on the tussocks of Lepidosperma carphoides. They are pale pink.