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Pests > Pests Entities > Insects > Moths & butterflies > Rare butterfly, Fiji

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Rare butterfly, Fiji

April 2006. A butterfly (upper, left) was caught during a during a recent arthropod biodiversity survey from Taveuni island, Fiji, It was believed to be a rare species. Identification was requested.

From the appearance of the antennae it looks like a hesperid, but the identification was not taken further.

Moths, collected at night by a mercury vapor light, were also posted.

It was suggested that the photo (lower, left) was Hers convolvuli a pest of sweet potato (Ipomoea sp.) of the family Sphingidae; however, an expert from CABI said it was Hippotion scrofa Boisduval (Sphingidae). It is known from Australia, Norfolk Island (migrant), Vanuatu and New Caledonia according to d’Abrera (1986). The top, right is thought to be a Noctuid, and the middle, left a pyralid.

The photo (middle, left) was thought to be very similar to Meroctena staintonii Lederer, 1863 (Pyralidae: Pyraustinae).

There was also a suggestion that the photo (middle, right) is from the family Yponomeutidae. If it was from the neotropics, it might be the genus Atteva (Attevinae), but the member was not sure if this group is present in the Pacific. It was later confimred that Atteva is present on the Asiatic fringe of the Pacific – there are two species in Hong Kong.