Australasian privet hawk moth

Psilogramma casuarinae

"Psilogramma casuarinae", the Australasian privet hawk moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1856. It is known from New South Wales, the Northern Territory and Queensland, all in Australia.
Large privet hawk moth Body length 6 cm. I understand that the wingspan can be up to 10 cm for this species. Found and released from a spider's web, looking a little battered/aged. It began vibrating its wings and soon after flew off in to foliage where it rested in the sunshine. Its size was so impressive. Found in the east and north of this country. Larvae feed on privet (Ligustrum sinense, family Oleaceae), trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans, family Bignoniaceae) and other plants. An agricultural pest of olive trees. When disturbed, males of this species may make a hissing sound by rubbing together a specialised set of scales and spines at the end of the abdomen. Australasian privet hawk moth,Australia,Geotagged,Lepidoptera,Privet hawk moth,Psilogramma casuarinae,Sphingidae,Sphinginae,Summer,arthropod,fauna,invertebrate,macro,new south wales

Appearance

Adults have long, narrow grey wings with a darker grey wavy pattern. The abdomen is grey, with a dark dorsal line. Males can make a hissing sound by rubbing parts of their body together.
Australian privet hawk moth pairing This beautiful pair are genus Psilogramma, I believe species casuarinae, the Australian privet hawkmoth. Large moths, with a wingspan that can exceed 10 cm. The bigger female is at top. Australasian privet hawk moth,Australia,Australian privet hawk moth,Geotagged,Lepidoptera,Privet hawk moth,Psilogramma casaurinae,Psilogramma casuarinae,Sphingidae,Summer,arthropod,entomology,insect,macro,moth copulation,moth pairing,moth sex

Food

The larvae feed on "Olea europaea", "Ligustrum vulgare", "Jasminum polyanthum", "Campsis radicans", "Tecoma stans", "Lonicera japonica", "Cotoneaster" species, "Antirrhinum majus" and "Clerodendrum paniculatum". Early instars are green with a strong nearly straight horn on the tail. Later, it develops a series of diagonal white stripes on the sides. Full-grown larvae are about 80 mm long. Mature larvae leave their food plant to pupate under the surface debris of loose soil and leaves.

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderLepidoptera
FamilySphingidae
GenusPsilogramma
SpeciesP. casuarinae
Photographed in
Australia