DISTRIBUTION:

Syntherata minoris (wingspan: males: 87mm; females: 93mm // forewing length: males: 43-48mm; females: 50mm) flies in
eastern Papua New Guinea: Morobe Province, Wau, 1217 m., 07º20'S, 146º42'E, at elevations of 1217m.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens were collected April 5-6, 1999 by Deumer, Schaarschmidt & Michalczyk. Specimens have also been taken in June. I suspect there are additional flight months.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the tip of their abdomens to "call" the males. Males use their antennae to hone in on the airbourne pheromone.

Syntherata minoris AT female, 93mm, Wau, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea,
June 2004, 1217m, on my home computer only.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

White, ovate eggs are deposited in rows of 8-12 on hostplant foliage.

Larvae pupate in stiff oval cocoons spun up among food-plant or nearby vegetation.

The species name, minoris, is indicative of the relatively small wingspan of this moth.

Larval Food Plants

It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

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