Tag Archives: Moca chlorolepis

Moca chlorolepis (Walsingham)

Green-scaled Moca Moth (Moca chlorolepis)

The Green-scaled Moca Moth was described in 1900; it was endemic to Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.

The species reaches a wingspan of up to 2,8 cm; the head is greyish brown, the thorax is dark brown, sprinkled with greenish and pale cinereous scales, the abdomen is greyish brown, the forewings are dark brown, profusely sprinkled with pale yellowish green scales, the hindwings are greyish brown.

The species has apparently never been recorded since its description and is believed to be extinct.

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References:

[1] Charles William Andrews: A monograph of Christmas Island (Indian Ocean). London: printed by order of the Trustees 1900
[2] John Woinarski: A Bat’s End: The Christmas Island Pipistrelle and Extinction in Australia. CSIRO Publishing, Victoria, Australia 2018
[3] D. J. James; P. T. Green; W. F. Humphreys; J. C. Z. Woinarski: Endemic species of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. Records of the Western Australian Museum 34: 55-114. 2019

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edited: 08.05.2022