Hecatesia fenestrata Boisduval, 1828
Common Whistling Moth
 AGARISTINAE,   NOCTUIDAE,   NOCTUOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Mike & Pat Coupar
and
Stella Crossley

Hecatesia fenestrata
(Photo: courtesy of Paul Whitington, Wonboyn, New South Wales)

This Caterpillar is fleshy with sparse white hairs along the body. It has irregular bands of orange, black, and pale yellow, and also a prominent lateral pale yellow line, and an area of red near the tail.

Hecatesia fenestrata
(Photo: courtesy of Paul Whitington, Wonboyn, New South Wales)

The caterpillar is solitary, and feeds nocturnally on:

  • Dodder Laurel ( Cassytha, LAURACEAE ).

    The caterpillar grows to a length of about 3 cms. When fully grown, the caterpillar wanders about for several days before pupating in a crevice or in the soil.

    Hecatesia fenestrata
    female
    (Photo: courtesy of Andras Keszei, Bruce, Australian Capital Territory)

    The forewings of the adult moths are black with white markings, and the hind wings are orange with a black margin. The abdomen is orange on top and black underneath. The females have a wingspan of about 3 cms. The males have a wingspan of about 2.5 cms.

    Hecatesia fenestrata
    male, drawing by Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Dechauffour de Boisduval,
    Essai sur une Monographie des Zygénides, suivi du Tableau Méthodique, des Lépidoptères d'Europe, 1829, Plate 1, fig. 2,
    image courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library, digitized by University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Library.

    The males claim to fame is having a curved transparent 'window' in each forewing. They also make a clicking-whistling sound when flying. This is made in flight by a ribbed area on the forewing rubbing against a small protrusion. The noise is probably used to attract females.

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

    This species hs been found in Australia, in:

  • Northern Territory,
  • Queensland,
  • New South Wales,
  • Australian Capital Territory,
  • Victoria, and
  • Tasmania.

    Hecatesia fenestrata
    male showing underside
    (Photo: courtesy of Merlin Crossley, Melbourne, Victoria)

    Hecatesia fenestrata
    female showing underside
    (Photo: courtesy of Andras Keszei, Bruce, Australian Capital Territory)

    Further reading :

    Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Dechauffour de Boisduval,
    Essai sur une monographie des zygénides, suivi du tableau méthodique, des lépidoptères d'Europe,
    Paris : Chez Méquignon-Marvis, 1829, pp. 11-12, and also Plate 1, fig. 2.

    Ian F.B. Common,
    Moths of Australia,
    Melbourne University Press, 1990, pl. 22.22, pp. 50, 464.

    Pat and Mike Coupar,
    Flying Colours,
    New South Wales University Press, Sydney 1992, p. 71.

    Peter B. McQuillan, Jan A. Forrest, David Keane, & Roger Grund,
    Caterpillars, moths, and their plants of Southern Australia,
    Butterfly Conservation South Australia Inc., Adelaide (2019), p. 171.

    Peter Marriott,
    Moths of Victoria - Part 8,
    Night Moths and Allies - NOCTUOIDEA(B)    ,
    Entomological Society of Victoria, 2017, pp. 32-33.

    previous
    back
    caterpillar
    Australian
    Australian Butterflies
    butterflies
    Australian
    home
    Lepidoptera
    Australian
    Australian Moths
    moths
    next
    next
    caterpillar

    (updated 26 October 2011, 22 January 2014, 25 November 2020)