Despite the name, these moths are not so commonly seen as adults. We do see evidence of the larvae throughout the forest, with their characteristic sac-like retreats on the trunks of young Acacia. This is only our second sighting of an adult … and our first was just three weeks ago. Males are even more colourful, being almost entirely bright green. However, they rarely come to lights. We hope to spot one soon, when prowling the forest trails by torchlight.

Aenetus ligniveren (Common Splendid Ghost Moth)

A second Aenetus female on the same night! We thought this momentous enough … until we later realised that it was actually a different species of this beautiful genus. Again, a female. This was an especially exciting (and surprising) find. There are fewer than 50 sightings on iNaturalist, and none anywhere nearly so far south. Needless to say, another first for the home list.

Aenetus lewinii (Lewin’s Splendid Ghost Moth)