description 1 3/4-2" (44-51 mm). Wing margins ragged. Bright tawny-golden above with black blotches. HW above lacks strong dark margin, having only band of golden spots narrowly lined with brown. Beneath, male bright yellow-tan marked with tiny dots and striations; female brown, slightly violet-tinged, darker on basal half. Silver comma mark in HW below clubbed or hooked.
The orange-yellow moths have a wing span of 2.5 cm and a number of conspicuous black spots on the wings and body.
The eggs are small and are laid on the developing fruit or near the growing point. The entire larval stage is passed in the plant tissue. After about 3 weeks in summer larvae are mature, 2.5 cm long, greyish-green and tinged pink. They pupate on the outside of the fruit in shelters of webbed frass.
The life cycle from egg to adult takes 6 weeks in summer.
Throughout Queensland
Yellow peach moth infests a number of other crops including citrus, cocoa, coconut, maize, mango, papaya, peach, pomegranate, sapodilla, sorghum, cotton, custard apple, lychee, macadamia, rambutan and durian.
I love the colors on this one! I found a whole bunch of moth and butterfly photos on Flickr and I'm researching all of my favorites and including the photos that I've come across ( 99% on Flickr ). YAY Lots more learning and work to do for me! Wheeeee! n_n
The Glasswing butterflies have evolved large clear patches on their wings which help camouflage them while they are flying from one flower to another or while they are perched on a plant. Predators that are looking for lunch may not recognize the Glasswing as a butterfly because their transparent wings break up their outline. Glasswing butterflies feed on nectar from aster flowers. This particular flower is important to their reproduction because male Glasswings obtain a chemical from these flowers that they use in producing their pheromones, chemical scents they use to attract mates.
Ecologists use the presence of the Glasswing butterfly as an indication of high quality habitat, and its demise alerts them of ecological change. Since the international trade for butterflies is growing, Glasswing specimens are often taken from the wild, and they are also cultivated for sale on butterfly ranches. Such activities as logging, coal mining, farming with agrochemicals, and increased ranching greatly threaten Glasswing populations. The Glasswing butterflies are often viewed as delicate gems among nature.
Source: http://entweb.clemson.edu/museum/webonly/exotic/ebfly1/ebfly11.htm
