Invertebrate Agarista agricola (Josephs coat moth)

[Dusty Miller]

Scientific Name: Agarista agricola

Common Name(s): Josephs coat moth

Other Names: NA

Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Noctuidae

Subfamily: Agaristinae

Genus: Agarista

Species: A agricola

Distribution: Across the top end of Australia down to Sydney on east coast

Habitat: During the day they hide among grass or on tree trunk near the ground.

Field Notes: Spatulate projections over body of caterpillar, an orange and black form of the caterpillar also exists (cats to 7cms). Moth is spectularly coloured black with yellow and red sections. Grapes serve as a host plant.

 

[AussiePreppers]

Nice find Dusty M - what a beauty!

 

[Dusty Miller]

Bugger, was hoping you had one of the moth AP!

 

[AussiePreppers]

Oh, now that you mention it, I do hehe Not high quality though, from way back in 2006...

 

[Hairyman]

Quite a striking daytime moth. Their caterpillars feed on various vines from the VITACEAE family.(Grape and native grapes)