Species Dirce lunaris (Meyrick, 1890)

Dirce lunaris, adult male.

© Copyright C. Young

Dirce lunaris, eggs, freshly laid, pale green, becoming darker on maturity.

© Copyright C. Young

Dirce lunaris, mature larva on Epacris serpyllifolia.

© Copyright C. Young

Museums

Regional Maps

• Oenone lunaris Meyrick, E. 1890. Revision of Australian Lepidoptera. III. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 2-n.s. 4(4): 1117-1216 [year of publication not confirmed] [1195].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) BMNH, Tasmania, Mt Wellington, 4100 ft.

Generic Combinations

• Dirce lunaris (Meyrick, 1890).

Introduction

Dirce lunaris and D. solaris are sympatric and the caterpillars feed on the same host plant, the alpine shrub Epacris serpyllifolia R. Br. (Epacridaceae) over autumn. Adults fly in late spring to mid-summer but D. lunaris is usually present in far greater numbers than the rarer D. solaris. The moths of these species occur in alpine heathland in the Tasmanian highlands; however the known distribution of D. solaris is more limited, possibly due to under-collection. The adults of both species are rapid and low flying. Superficially the moths are of the same size, have cryptically coloured forewings and flash colouration on the hindwings. The hindwings of D. lunaris are white encircled by a dark grey band; whereas the centre of the hindwings of its sister species is a bright yellow. The moths of all species of Dirce rest with the forewings completely covering the hindwings and folded planiform above the body (Young 2006).

Distribution

States

Tasmania

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

Ecological Descriptors

Caterpillar: herbivore (associated flora: Epacris serpyllifolia R. Br. [EPACRIDACEAE] alpine heath).

General References

Young, C.J. 2006. Molecular relationships of the Australian Ennominae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) and implications for the phylogeny of the Geometridae from molecular and morphological data. Zootaxa 1264: 1–147

History of changes