Schistophleps obducta (T.P. Lucas, 1894)

Scientific name: Schistophleps obducta
Similar species:
S. albida, Psilopepla mollis, Chamaita barnardi
  • Author(s)
    David Britton
  • Updated
    30/10/26
  • Read time
    2 minutes
Lichen moth, Schistophleps obducta Click to enlarge image
Lichen moth, Schistophleps obducta (Arctiidae: Lithosiinae), this species has much more brown scaling compared to Schistophleps albida and other similar genera. Image: David Britton
© Australian Museum

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Schistophleps
    Species
    obducta
    Subfamily
    Lithosiinae
    Family
    Arctiidae
    Super Family
    Noctuoidea
    Order
    Lepidoptera
    Class
    Insecta
    Phylum
    Arthropoda
    Kingdom
    Animalia

S. obducta belongs to a group of superficially similar moths with almost transparent wings due to thin scaling. This species is the most heavily marked of the group.

Moth specimen mounted on a pin, wings spread and showing light brown coloration with darker markings on a blue background.
Lichen moth, Schistophleps obducta (Arctiidae: Lithosiinae), this species has much more brown scaling compared to Schistophleps albida and other similar genera. Image: David Britton
© Australian Museum

Identification

This species has much more brown scaling compared to Schistophleps albida and other similar genera. The two distinct black spots in the forewing cell are absent. The brown markings are extremely variable between individual moths.

Habitat

Distribution

Coastal regions from far northern NSW to northern Queensland.

This map shows species occurrence observations from data recorded in the Atlas of Living Australia.

Feeding and diet

Larvae probably feed on lichens.