Favoured Footman Termessa gratiosa (Walker, 1865)
Scientific name: Termessa gratiosa
Alternative name/s:
Lichen moth
Lichen moth
Similar species:
T. diplographa, T. zonophanes
T. diplographa, T. zonophanes
Click to enlarge image
Lichen moth (Arctiidae: Lithosiinae) Teresa gratis, male.
NSW: Depot Beach, 10 miles NE of Batemans Bay 13 Dec 1969 I.F.B. Common
Image: David Britton
© Australian Museum
© Australian Museum
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Termessa
- Species
- gratiosa
- Subfamily
- Lithosiinae
- Family
- Arctiidae
- Super Family
- Noctuoidea
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Class
- Insecta
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Life history mode
- terrestrial, volant
The pretty T. gratiosa is one of the most common lichen moths attracted to lights in Sydney over spring.
Identification
Fore wings with a cream background, sometimes tinged with yellow, the broad basal black fascia with a pale centre, head with whitish scales. Can be distinguished from the similar T. diplographa by the white ground colour in the forewings and from T. zonophanes by the absence of black scaling near the tip of the abdomen.
Habitat
Forested and heath regions.
Distribution
From SE Queensland to Victoria.
This map shows species occurrence observations from data recorded in the Atlas of Living Australia.
Seasonality
September to January.
