Need ID for iridescent moth

[joeisan]

Hi,
Found this moth high up the wall behind my kitchen, under the roof so nice in the dark :)
Got my ladder and camera and tried to get decent shots. I got a few and will share two of them here.
Eye-catching is the variation of iridescent colours on the front, really beautiful.
Second "special" feature are the very long antennae, nearly 2/3 of the whole moth.
I have limited field guides and I did not get further than Acosmeryx sericeus, but I don't think it's this one.
So any input welcome, even directions where to look, I thought Sphingidae and that is a large family.

I enclose one pic of the whole moth and one close-up of the front.

Thanks for any input!

[Painted Jezebel]

Welcome to BC. I do have the very few books on Thai Moths available, and they do not cover all the families.

Regretably, I can not see your photo. This appears to be a problem for me, and me alone, I do not know why. Could you please reattach your photos, but please do not use the 'Insert Online' button, simply press the 'Done' button, then I should be able to see it.

Hopefully I may be able to id it, but the known species in Thailand is probably only 10% of the actual species here. I keep on finding unknown species in the South, there is slightly less likelihood for you in the North (which is better studied), but they are still badly known here (as are any other insect apart from butterflies and dragonflies and I am still finding, occasionally, new species for Thailand in both those families).

[joeisan]

Thanks, I re-attached them the way you mentioned, hope you can see them now.

[Painted Jezebel]

Thanks. Now to work!:) It is not an easy one! Can you give me an approximate idea of the forewing length? I am positive it is either a Notodontid or a Noctuid.

[Painted Jezebel]

Sorry Joe. I have gone through my books and it is not a Notodontid known from Thailand, and the Noctuidae are only partially covered. I have also tried online resources from nearby areas and can not find it. It is not uncommon to photograph an unidentified species here, there are still many 'new to Thailand' species to be found in all families except the Hawkmoths (Sphingidae) and Silkmoths (Saturnidae).

[Psyche]

Moths are extremely difficult to ID.
Even getting the family right can be very difficult. After that you find it is a family of twenty thousands or more species.

However, on a look through the Noctuidae I thought the forewing of Catocala plus its long antennae looks close.

A check shows one C. serena is fairly close , the FW line tracery, the submarginal dots, & the anal brush.
C. serena is north American, but I feel this is very likely a Catocala species.

C. serena below
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Catocala_serena.jpg


TL Seow:cheers: