Golden Sun Moths (Synemon plana) live most of their lives underground as larvae. The little grubs develop an extensive tunnel system beneath the roots of the plants they feed on. And they're not ordinary dirt-lined tunnels, these aristocratic grubs line their tunnels with self-spun silk! No wonder they stay down there for two to three years. They pupate in vertical tunnels open to the surface before they elbow their way out as moths.
And this is when the fun begins.
Golden Sun Moths are all show and sensual pleasure!
They're stunning little critters with unique colour patterning on their wings. Both males and females have bronzy-brownish forewings with white-grey patches, but while the males have brownish hindwings, the females have bright orange hindwings with black spots - nothing like a bit of hindwing sparkle to attract a mate!
They emerge in December-January and live for only two days!
They don't even have mouths because they don't live long enough to need to eat - they're too busy doing other things.
Basically, the male spends his life flitting around the top of the native grasses, peering down trying to find a female to mate with.
She rarely flies, but waits on the ground flashing her black-spotted orange hindwings to attract his attention.
They copulate. She lays her eggs into the grass tussocks. They die. End of story.
New life cycle begins.
No comments:
Post a Comment