Gnathifera eurybias (A Fringe-tufted Moth)

There are three species of Epermeniidae that have been recorded historically in the ACT – Epermenia exilis, Gnathifera eurybias and G. aphronesa.   Epermenia exilis have up to five patches of  black scales along the inner margin of the forewing, starting at about ¼ from the base and steadily diminishing in size from the first largest one.  In photos of live closed-wing moths, these patches appear as vertical tufts along the join of the forewings. In Gnathifera eurybias, the first patch is much larger than in E. exilis and is placed just short of halfway from the base of the forewings, and there is usually only one other visible patch, a smaller one just beyond halfway.  Gnathifera aphronesa has not been recorded on CNM yet (May 2022) – it has similar scale patches to G. eurybias, and usually has a subdued longitudinal light streak on the forewings that is not present on G. eurybias.