There are an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 species of moths in Australia. But most people pay them very little attention. Moths are easily overlooked. Perhaps because of their stereotype of being small grey pests. They often fly at night (but not always), camouflage well and many are quite small. Their life span as the winged adult can also be brief, sometimes just 24-48 hours. Enough time to emerge from their cocoon and hopefully find a partner, mate, lay eggs and die.

Few species of moths are actually pests, despite their reputation. Moths are important pollinators, a food source for other animals and they facilliate nutrient cycling in our ecosystems. Their larvae also break down our tough Australian foliage and leaf litter that ultimately reduces fuel loads - very important in relation to bushfires! There is much we need to learn. We dont even know the conservation status of most moth species as so little data exists.

All of the species shown below are found in my local region - the southern most tip of Western Australia. Some are only found here and no where else in the entire world. Others can be found in other parts of Australia or other countries.

There is no field guide that specifies what species are found here, I pieced together the collection from those I found and photographed, from books, from social media posts and the pictures friends sent me. I photographed them so I could draw them without disturbing them and to enable me to zoom in and see detail that I couldn’t make out with the naked eye.

Materials: Artist grade wax crayon on yuppo paper. Suspended between two pieces of glass.