Synemon maja Strand, 1911 Major Sun Moth (one synonym : Synemon gerda Strand, 1911) CASTNIIDAE,   SESIOIDEA

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

(Photo: courtesy of CSIRO/BIO Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

The adult moth of this species has dark brown forewings with three irregular broad pale transverse bands.

drawing by Embrik Strand, listed as Synemon maja
Synemon-Epicorp: Indo-Australian Bombyces and Sphinges,
in Adalbert Seitz (ed.): The Macrolepidoptera of the World,
Stuttgart : Alfred Kernen Verlag, Volume 10 (1933), Plate 9, fig a1,
image courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library, digitized by Natural History Museum Library, London.

The hindwings are similar but the bands are broken and yellow. The wingspan is about 4 cms.

drawing by Embrik Strand, listed as Synemon gerda
Synemon-Epicorp: Indo-Australian Bombyces and Sphinges,
in Adalbert Seitz (ed.): The Macrolepidoptera of the World,
Stuttgart : Alfred Kernen Verlag, Volume 10 (1933), Plate 9, fig a1,
image courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library, digitized by Natural History Museum Library, London.

The species occurs in

Western Australia.

underside
drawing by Embrik Strand, listed as Synemon maja
Synemon-Epicorp: Indo-Australian Bombyces and Sphinges,
in Adalbert Seitz (ed.): The Macrolepidoptera of the World,
Stuttgart : Alfred Kernen Verlag, Volume 10 (1933), Plate 9, fig a1,
image courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library, digitized by Natural History Museum Library, London.

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Further reading :

Embrik Strand,
Bombyces and Sphinges of the Indo-Australian Region,
in Adalbert Seitz (ed.):
The Macrolepidoptera of the World,
Stuttgart : Alfred Kernen Verlag, Volume 10 (1933), p.2, and also Plate 9, fig a1.

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(written 11 July 2015, updated 22 August 2018, 9 September 2019)