Animal Species:Lichen Moths in the genus Termessa
Termessa is a genus of Australian lichen moths containing medium-sized species which usually have bright orange and black contrasting markings
Lithosiinae Termessa congrua
David Britton
© David Britton
Alternative Name/s
Footman
Number of species
12
Identification
Males in this genus have very small pectinations on the antennae compared to males of other lichen moths
DISCLAIMER: The identifications presented on these pages should be taken as indicative only. As with many groups of Australian insects there has been no formal revision of the Lithosiinae in recent years, and there are many undescribed species present in collections. Many species are superficially similar, and require a specialist to separate them.
Distribution
Most species are found on the east coast of mainland Australia, with one species reaching southwestern Western Australia, and one species extending into Tasmania
Distribution by collection data
Biomaps map of Termessa specimens from the Australian Museum database
Habitat
Mostly forested and heathland areas, but also open woodlands
Seasonality
Most species are active in spring and early summer.
Feeding and Diet
Larvae probably feed on lichens
Life history modes
terrestrial, volant
Classification
- Genus:
- Termessa
- Subfamily:
- Lithosiinae
- Family:
- Arctiidae
- Superfamily:
- Noctuoidea
- Order:
- Lepidoptera
- Class:
- Insecta
- Phylum:
- Arthropoda
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
Further Reading
The majority of images of Lithosiinae presented on these pages were taken from specimens housed in the Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC) (CSIRO, Canberra). I would like to thank the staff and researchers at ANIC for their generous assistance in providing me access to this collection, and I acknowledge the depth of effort and the investment of staff time that has gone into building and curating this splendid resource. In particular, I would like to thank Ted Edwards and Marianne Horak for their assistance.
Common names for the Victorian fauna were sourced from Marriott, P. 2009. Moths of Victoria. Part 2 - Tiger Moths & Allies - Noctuoidea (A). Entomological Society of Victoria, Melbourne.
Dr
Dave Britton
, Collection Manager, Entomology
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