Australian Gypsy Moth
Two different sizes and two different colours (bright 14mm, darker one 11mm) but most likely the same species. It was found on a Mangrove Boardwark on the display signs. I struggled to identify this species but found a pretty good match in Lymantria dispar - the Asian Gypsy Moth. My tentative identification was confirmed to family level by a QuestaGame expert. However, it was ruled out that it is the Asian Gypsy Moth. It was assumed that this is a Acyphas species with reference to http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/lyma/acyphas.html and here: http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/lyma/lymana.html. Thank you for the expertise. There is a lot to do in Lepidoptera. It hurts to see that this rather unique record got 73 points. For a comparison: birds that you can find around every corner such as Magpies tend to give hundreds (up to 900 plus). In my opinion, it is a fantastic mistake to discriminate against invertebrates. It is a gigantic mistake of some invertebrate representatives to only celebrate their own expertise and discourage further work in their area. It is not theirs, has never been. We have exactly the same disasterous culture in nudibranch research in Australia! It is outrageous that most invertebrate taxa where ordinary people have been involved in collections for hundreds of years, we have the biggest taxonomic mess. It is not a shame not to know something, but it is a shame, to downplay and filter out records that science may have little idea about. Surely, this is not one of the world sensation find. However, it was found in an endangered habitat. That alone should be reason enough to record and note. If science is about big birds and fish, about which taxa I can exploit and eradicate, count me out, please! We don't need identifications by experts, but reasons and characters how to get to an identification. End of rant! This gallery is only setup to make this statement. It is not about putting people down but an attempt to stop some 'experts' to shield their area from the public. Feel free to provide some insights.
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Mangrove habitat, size 14mm.
ArthropodaAustralian Gypsy MothCaterpillarGalleryInsectaLepidopteraLymantria disparLymantriidae
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