NEOTROPICAL Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forest
Moths

Order Lepidoptera: Moths and Butterflies

While most butterflies feed on nectar from flowers, they can also be seen slurping away at urine, scat (animal poo, above) or dead animals. They can glean extra nutrients from these sources that include sodium and nitrogen, as these are not present in the sugar-rich but generally nutrient-poor nectar.  Some observers point out the butterflies that feed in this way are more often males. It has been suggested that these extra nutrients may be passed along from the male to the female as a nuptial gift in a spermatophore for their egg production. 

Superfamily Pyraloidea

Family Crambidae

Diaphania elegans 

Polygrammodes ponderalis. Found in South America.

Superfamily Bombycoidea

Family Saturniidae

Maybe ? Oxytenis modestia, 'Dead Leaf Moth'. Found in rainforest in Central and northern South America.

Superfamily Geometridae

Family Geometridae

Many of the moths in this family are called 'Emerald Moths', because they are often green in colour.

Synchlora gerularia. The caterpillars feed on Asteraceae plants. This species is found across much of the North and South America.

Pantherodes (?pardalaria) 'Leopard Moth'.

Eois paraviolascens.

Family Uranidae: 'Swallowtail Moths'

Subfamily Epipleminae: 'Scoopwing Moths'

Psamathia sp. Vertical bars across wings.

Superfamily Noctuoidea

Family Erebidae

 Subfamily Arctiinae

'Tiger Moths' are often yellow and black in colour.

Cosmosoma includes over 70 species of moths.

Mesothen sp. includes over 30 species of moths

Chlorhoda viridis.

To identify...

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