Hippotion velox
We have found this moth at Claire Cottage on the Dorrigo Plateau, where it is an infrequent visitor.
Distribution: Northern Territory, FNQ to eastern NSW - southern known limit Wollongong with one sighting in the ACT..
Sighted at Claire Cottage in October (2020). February (2004) and March 2022.
We have found this moth at Claire Cottage on the Dorrigo Plateau, where it is an infrequent visitor.
Distribution: Northern Territory, FNQ to eastern NSW - southern known limit Wollongong with one sighting in the ACT..
Sighted at Claire Cottage in October (2020). February (2004) and March 2022.
Defoliation from Hippotion velox is a common natural occurrence in the Capricornia Cays National Park. This decreases shade causing the larvae to drop to the ground. Outbreaks can occur following periods of rapid growth ‘flushes’. Conditions suitable for an outbreak are often long periods of low rainfall followed by good rains, usually combined with seabird nesting season when there is a spike in nutrients (guano) on the island. This happened in January 2022. The Pisonia forests do recover quickly from the defoliation with no long–term effects.
Native Hawkmoths are a substantial and maybe even important factor in nutrient cycling, increasing turnover rates of the high nutrient environment. QPWS tracks the occurrence of these outbreaks under the QPWS pest management system.
From a Queensland Parks & Forests - Jan 2022 Park Alert parks.des.qld.gov.au/park-alerts/21618
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We (Trevor & Carol) ask the following Questions resulting from the above & similar reports involving mass breeding events of Hippotion velox in the Pacific Islands. We offer our thoughts but have not witnessed any of these events, Sadly mass breeding events always label the involved insect as a PEST;
* Why do these events occur? - we have not heard of a logical reason, Hippotion velox is thought to be a migratory Hawkmoth on occassions and is known to only lay single egg's on leaves of its foodplant?
* Have these events always occurred? - in recent decades a number of these events have been recorded on different Pacific islands. We have not sighted older historical records.
* Why do larva fall from trees? - If not fully grown possibly because they have eaten all the available leaves and intend to search for more food plant - if fully mature larva then presumably to pupate.
* Does the resulting defoliation have any lasting impact for the tree? - there is no suggestion that defoliation has any long term effect.
We are currently unable to provide more conclusive information.
Native Hawkmoths are a substantial and maybe even important factor in nutrient cycling, increasing turnover rates of the high nutrient environment. QPWS tracks the occurrence of these outbreaks under the QPWS pest management system.
From a Queensland Parks & Forests - Jan 2022 Park Alert parks.des.qld.gov.au/park-alerts/21618
**************************************************************************************************************************
We (Trevor & Carol) ask the following Questions resulting from the above & similar reports involving mass breeding events of Hippotion velox in the Pacific Islands. We offer our thoughts but have not witnessed any of these events, Sadly mass breeding events always label the involved insect as a PEST;
* Why do these events occur? - we have not heard of a logical reason, Hippotion velox is thought to be a migratory Hawkmoth on occassions and is known to only lay single egg's on leaves of its foodplant?
* Have these events always occurred? - in recent decades a number of these events have been recorded on different Pacific islands. We have not sighted older historical records.
* Why do larva fall from trees? - If not fully grown possibly because they have eaten all the available leaves and intend to search for more food plant - if fully mature larva then presumably to pupate.
* Does the resulting defoliation have any lasting impact for the tree? - there is no suggestion that defoliation has any long term effect.
We are currently unable to provide more conclusive information.
Hippotion velox
We have found this moth at Claire Cottage on the Dorrigo Plateau, where it is an infrequent visitor.
Distribution: Northern Territory, FNQ to eastern NSW - southern known limit Wollongong.
Moth Sightings:
- DORRIGO PLATEAU: Oct 2020; Feb 2004; Mar 25th 2022;
- ELSEWHERE: Whyanbeel, FNQ May 2019, Jun 2019,
Larva Sightings:
- DORRIGO PLATEAU: None to date.
- ELSEWHERE: None to date.
Larval Food Plants:
- DORRIGO PLATEAU: Not known to grow on the Dorrigo Plateau.
- ELSEWHERE: FNQ, Nyctaginaceae - Pisonia aculeata (Thorny Pisonia vine), Pisonia grandis, Pisonia umbellifera (Bird-catcher tree)
Breeding season on the Dorrigo Plateau: Expected to be Oct to March if Pisonia is growing on the Plateau.
Breeding season elsewhere - Thought to be all year in the tropics and limited to the warmer months in Southern QLD & Northern NSW. Most common in January & February.
Pupation: Unusually for Hawk Moth larva, pupation often occurs within a cocoon of several green leaves spun together on the food plant. Also known to pupate in loose leaf litter on the ground.
Flight Habit: Nocturnal - Active at night.
Migration: generally known to be a migratory species.
Adult Moth: Size at rest - tip of thorax to tip of forewing: 50mm - wing tip to wing tip 45mm
Mature larva: length - ??mm. Colour forms in the final instar are Green & dark form.