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Abantiades latipennis, known as the Pindi moth, is a species of moth in the Hepialidae family. Endemic to Australia and identified in 1932, it is most populous in temperate rainforest where eucalypts are prevalent, as the larvae feed primarily on their roots. Females lay eggs during flight in a scattering fashion. The larvae live for over eighteen months underground, while adult moths survive for approximately one week, as they have no mouthparts with which to feed. The moths are preyed upon by a number of predators, including bats and owls. Brown in colour overall, males are paler and the identifying silver bars of the male's wings are more prominent than those of the females, with dark margins. Male adults are generally smaller.
Established clearfelling practices have been shown to favour the Pindi moth, and could lead to it being considered a pest due to opportunistic proliferation of the species. The resulting damage caused to the trees on which it feeds may be considered significant. (Full article...)