Can you take it into protective custody, rear it to the adult moth or whatever, take a portrait of the resulting insect(s), and take it/them back to release it where you found it?
Too late. I doubt I could find it again. I collect some caterpillars if I think they are new to me but I think this one is similar to Unidentified on 13 Feb 2019 which has been suggested as Phelotis cognata.
Some of the moths of species in Geometridae have widely variable patterns, and can be distinguished externally only by subtle differences in the wiggles of the lines on the wings. So one may expect the larvae of different species to have only subtle differences from each other. I think that all encountered Geometridae larvae need to be reared, at this stage of our ignorance, to try and start working out by how much larvae may vary within a species, as well what differences are characteristic for each species.
Your close-ups of the heads are very interesting. The spotty patterns on the heads and the placement of hairs on the head and thorax may well be diagnostic.
Was this on Acacia baileyana? If this and your 4197586 are both P. cognata, that would mean it has been found on plants from 4 different families, which would be a fact worth documenting.
Sorry, I don't know my plants very well. I know the family but not the species. This was the darker wattle that is common in areas of the Pinnacle and Umbagong, but it doesn't have the very fine leaves.
Okay. I'll have to go out and take one. I did read of someone referring to 'black wattle' as the plant an insect was found on but don't know if this is the same plant.
Describe how you intend to use these images and/or audio files and your request will be sent to the author for consideration.
Your request has been successfully submitted to the author for consideration.
2,160,280 sightings of 20,040 species in 6,574 locations from 11,746 contributors
CCA 3.0 | privacy
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of this land and acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.