Zamacra juglansiaria Graeser

[Roger C. KENDRICK]

Donald Hobern wrote:

> Can anyone here tell me anything about the Geometrid illustrated on the
> Moths of Japan web site at:
>
> http://www2.ask.ne.jp/~gen0759/jmoth.html
>
> The photograph seems to show a moth with the forewings held rigidly
> perpendicular to the body in the manner of a plume moth (Pterophoridae)
> and the hind wings along the line of the abdomen.  Is this really how
> this moth rests?
>
> Donald Hobern
> IBM Hursley, Winchester, England

> Dr. James K. Adams (<jadams at carpet.dalton.peachnet.edu>) then wrote:
>
> Actually, there is a whole group of moths that sits this way -- the
> epiplemids (or epiplemine uraniids, depending on who you talk to).  I
> haven't looked at the picture myself, but if there are epiplemids in
> Japan, my bet is that Zamacra juglansiaria may be an epiplemid and
> not a geometrid.
>
>             James

I have to agree with Dr. Adams, this little curio is an Epiplemid. If I
follow the current "standard" text (the checklist on Australian leps:-
Nielsen, E.S., Edwards, E.D. & Rangsi, T.V. (eds.), 1996. Checklist of the
Lepidoptera of Australia. CSIRO, Collingwood, Victoria, Australia.) then
this group is to be treated as a subfamily of the Uranidae (Sunset moths).
I'm out of my depth at superfamily level so shall not comment further on
the higher taxonomy.
In Hong Kong there are at least seven species of this subfamily, five of
which rest in a similar fashion to Zamacra juglansiaria. The most recent
volume of The Moths of Borneo (Holloway, J.D., 1998; Malay. Nat. J.) -
volume 8 - deals with this group and there has been quite a substantial
revision of the taxonomy at the generic level, with Epiplema and Dirades
(the two genera in Hong Kong) having been more strictly defined and thus
several new combinations created. "Epiplema" flavistriga is illustrated on
the HK Moths website and "E." moza on the Japanese site. These two species
rest in a flatter, less "T" like posture. Some of the Malay and Bornean
species are even more extreme in their resting posture, with the forewings
totally rolled and pointing forward, forming a "Y" posture. All in all, a
way out group of moths!

regards,

Roger.

--
Roger C. KENDRICK
  Demonstrator / Ph.D. Student
  Dept. of Ecology & Biodiversity, The University of Hong Kong
  mailto:kendrick at hkusua.hku.hk

mailing address:
  Kadoorie Agricultural Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong
  Lam Kam Road, Shek Kong, Yuen Long, New Territories, HONG KONG

Hong Kong Moths website coordinator
  http://web.hku.hk/~kendrick/hkmoth.htm

HK Lepidoptera Group webmaster (English version)
  http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/1085/

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