Last night, when the atmosphere was calm and the house lights were turned on, I found a quite conspicuous moth stuck quietly to the pole in the house. The shape of the body and the pattern on the wings immediately reminded me of moths from the genus Tarsolepis, a group of moths in the Notodontidae family known for their distinctive and attractive appearance.
This moth has a stocky body and grayish brown forewings with a fine brushstroke-like pattern. The hind wings appear hidden when at rest. Other distinctive characteristics of Tarsolepis such as feathered antennae (in males) and symmetrical wing patterns are also clearly visible. He didn't move much and seemed attracted to the house lights.
Moths of this genus are active at night and are often found approaching artificial light sources. Although rarely seen during the day, they can be found in a variety of habitats, including rural areas like where I live.
Unfortunately, I have not been able to identify the exact species because several species of Tarsolepis have a similar appearance.
NOTE: I first wrote the article above in Indonesian, which is my own language, then I translated it using English with the help of Goggle.
| Latin Name | Observation date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Genus Tarsolepis | 23 05 2025 | North Acèh Regency, Acèh, Indonesia |
| Camera used | Smartphone |
|---|---|
| Lens | Macro |
| F-stop | - |
| Iso speed | ISO |
| Focal length | MM |
| Photography | Genus Tarsolepis |
| Location | Aceh Indonesia |
| Photographer | @bananaklatbarat |
| Link to original | community | |
|---|---|---|
| Link | https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/283609008 | |
| Latitude Longitude | Map | |
| - | - | |
| =4.9786331 | =97.2221421 | https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=4.9786331&mlon=97.2221421#map=12/4.9786/97.2221 |
