Echo Owlet Moth from South Africa

Subject: Moth from South Africa
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
February 18, 2015 12:45 pm
Hi there!
I hope you guys can help to identify this magnificent moth.
Spotted in a garden in Cape Town, South Africa in mid Feb.
Lots of granadilla and lavender plants around.
Never seen one even remotely similar – the photo is pretty good though, I hope we can identify it and find out more.
Please let me know what turns up!
Looking forward to your reply and thanks for the help!
Signature: Yours truly, NJV

Echo Owlet Moth
Echo Owlet Moth

Dear NJV,
Your lovely moth with its curled wings reminded us of an Australian Fruit Piercing Moth, so we searched the subfamily Catocalinae on iSpot and we quickly found the Echo Owlet Moth,
Achaea echo, a perfect match for your moth.  The species is also pictured on African Moths.

Superb!!
Thank you so much for the help, I really appreciate it!
Have a fantastic day,
Kind Regards
Norman Visser

9 thoughts on “Echo Owlet Moth from South Africa”

  1. The only side view I can find is on Project Noah. http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/13051101 Curled effect from above, but flat when facing the moth. And it seems that we can see a fringe there where it should be curled. Plus, in the left wing, right side of the image, it seems that there is continuation in the wing venation.
    Right now, I found a comment on Flickr, it says: “the hind margins of wings has this fake-curl looks!” https://www.flickr.com/photos/kobus101/3746035540/
    Sorry if I’m boring, but still what it seems to me.

    Reply
    • We are in total agreement with you Cesar. Sometimes in the morning, we hurry with a posting and we don’t do all the possible research. Thanks for providing a correction.

      Reply
  2. The only side view I can find is on Project Noah. http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/13051101 Curled effect from above, but flat when facing the moth. And it seems that we can see a fringe there where it should be curled. Plus, in the left wing, right side of the image, it seems that there is continuation in the wing venation.
    Right now, I found a comment on Flickr, it says: “the hind margins of wings has this fake-curl looks!” https://www.flickr.com/photos/kobus101/3746035540/
    Sorry if I’m boring, but still what it seems to me.

    Reply
  3. I know, dude.
    I had to make a post this week, saying I’m not recieving identification requests for indefinitely. It’s being hard to me for life troubles we do not expect to happen.

    Reply
  4. I know, dude.
    I had to make a post this week, saying I’m not recieving identification requests for indefinitely. It’s being hard to me for life troubles we do not expect to happen.

    Reply

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