Avitta rufifrons

Avitta rufifrons Moore, 1887
CATOCALINI, EREBINAE, EREBIDAE, NOCTUOIDEA

Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Avitta rufifrons
(Photo: courtesy of Bart Hacobian, near Millaa Millaa, Queensland)

The live adult moth of this species is mainly dark brown, but the forewings particularly have a purple iridescence if viewed from the right direction. There are several dark markings, including some submarginal lines on each forewing. The head and collar are red or orange with a white outline, In death, the purple colour fades to brown. The wingspan is about 3 cms.

drawing by Frederic C. Moore for his father F. Moore, printed by Vincent Brooks, Day & Son, London,
The Lepidoptera of Ceylon, L. Reeve, London, Volume 3 (1884-7), Plate 215 fig. 2,
image courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library, digitized by Smithsonian Libraries.

The species has been found in

Sri Lanka,

as well as in Australia in

Queensland.

Further reading :

Frederic Moore,
The Lepidoptera of Ceylon,
L. Reeve, London, Volume 3 (1886), p. 554, and also Plate 215, fig. 2.