[Jacqui]

Hi there

Elizabeth writes:

Have had two of these moths emerge recently from green loopers on nettles, along with several Burnished Brass. It looks related to the Burnished Brass which is on the third photo next to it. It’s darker brown than the BB and only small blobs of gold. Does anyone know its name?

Photographs are here:

https://www.monarch.org.nz/2011/04/26/burnished-brass-relative/

[NormTwigge]

I guess this one falls into the category of – ‘each to his/her own’. I have been picking the silver Y caterpillars off my dwarf beans over the last several weeks, and several off my outside nettles, which are strictly for the admirals.

[Elizabeth]

Thanks, Robert and Norm, for clarifying this for me. But maybe I shouldn’t be giving them house room along with the admirals if they’re such pests!

[NormTwigge]

The moth in question is the ‘Silver Y’ moth (Chrysodeixis eriosoma)and not related to the ‘Burnished brass moth’ (Thysanoplusia orichalcea), sometimes called the ‘soybean moth’. They are two different species. However both are serious agricultural pests and various biological controls such as entomopathogens (diseases) and parasitic wasps are employed to help control them.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

They are 2 types, the Soya Bean Moth (with lots of gold) & the Silver Y (with a silvery ‘y’ marking). Both Eat nettles & many veges too. They are both considered pest species, like the white butterfly.

They both have similar caterpillars that are green with faint white stripes & loop. Kinda hard to tell apart really.

Robert.

[Author]

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