Agape chloropyga

Agape chloropyga (Walker, 1854)
(one synonym: Hypsa analis Walker, 1856)
AGANAIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Ian F.B. Common & Stella Crossley

(updated 12 January 2006)

Agape chloropyga larva
(Photo from: Moths of Australia)

The Caterpillars of this species are brown with sparse hairs. They characteristically rest with the head and thorax curved round to the left, and with the last two segments raised in the air. They have been found feeding on the leaves of tropical Figs ( MORACEAE ) such as :

Morton Bay Fig ( Ficus macrophylla ), and

Malayan Banyan ( Ficus microcarpa ).

The adults moths are yellow with five orange spots on each forewing. The bodies are yellow with black bands between segments, and a dark blue last abdominal segment. They have a wingspan of about 6 cms.

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

They are found in a range from Malaysia to eastern Australia, including :

Borneo, and

Queensland, Australia ( including Townsville and Brisbane ).