Oenochroma vinaria

Oenochroma vinaria Guenée, 1857
(one synonym is: Monoctenia decora)
Pink Bellied Moth
OENOCHROMINAE , GEOMETRIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

Oenochroma vinaria
brown and black form
Bruce Anstee, Riverstone, Sydney)

These Caterpillars are brown with a broad black band along the back, or green.

green form
(Photo: courtesy of David Douglass-Martin, Encounter Bay)

Both forms have a scattering of white dots, and have pairs of pale spots on abdominal segments one, three, and eight. Small horns project from these. The Caterpillars have only two pairs of ventral prolegs.

(Photo: courtesy of David Nelson)

When disturbed, the Caterpillar curls the head under the body exposing the horns and markings on the thorax and the start of the abdomen.

(Photo: courtesy of Merlin Crossley)

They feed on various members of the plant family PROTEACEAE :

Spider Flowers ( Grevillea ),

Needlewood ( Hakea ), and

Candle Flowers ( Banksia ).

The caterpillars grow to a length of about 4 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of Susan Foyle, Sydney)

The pupa is brown. The pupal stage can be as short as 3 weeks in summer.

(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The general wing colour of the adult moths varies: at one extreme some are pink and at the other some are brown. The body also varies from pink to brown. The moths all have a brown or yellow line across the upper surface of each wing. Also each forewing has a recurved wingtip, and a small transparent spot surrounded by an irregular dark mark on both the upper and under surfaces.

Oenochroma vinaria
(Photos: courtesy of Evan Harris)

In its resting pose, the lines are aligned and resemble the vein in a leaf.

underside
(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

Underneath, there is also a large dark purple blotch under each forewing, and a dark line under each hindwing. The moths have a wingspan of 5 to 7 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of Carol Buchanan)

A female moth will lay over 100 eggs, which are pale green and oval.

(Photo: courtesy of John Stumm)

egg, magnified
(Photo: courtesy of Cathy Young)

The species is found over most of Australia, including

Victoria, and

The species has recently been the subject of DNA analysis, and is now thought to be two species. One is still called Oencochroma vinaria. The other has been named Oenochroma barcodificata Hausmann, 2009. The two species look superficially similar. The latter so far has only been found in Tasmania and New South Wales.

(Photos: courtesy of John Thompson, Melbourne)