The Golden Sun Moth Synemon plana is bronze coloured. It is a day-time flying moth with clubbed antennae. The hind wing of males is dark brown and grey. Females have bright orange hind wings with black spots. Adult males have a 34mm wing span, females 31mm. The Golden Sun Moth is thought to have a two-year life cycle spending most of its life underground as a larva feeding on the roots of wallaby grasses. Adults emerge in November-December over a 6-week period. Adults are active only in sunny conditions between 11am and 2pm. Males fly rapidly about 1 metre above the ground searching the short swards of wallaby grass for the bright orange flash of the female hind wings.
Females are not very mobile, almost walking from tussock to tussock to lay eggs. The adult Golden Sun Moths do not have mouthparts, so are unable to feed or drink. They survive on stored energy reserves. They often starve to death 4 days after emerging. Threats are degradation of habitat with urban development, invasion by weeds which has reduced the cover of wallaby grasses, and agricultural development with crops. The Salisbury and Mt Piper populations are protected in reserves but fires are the chief risk to them. Grassland, especially native grasslands must be conserved to protect not only Golden Sun Moth but other moth and butterfly species as well as lizards, dragons, bandicoots and orchids.
there is a board walk where you can see the moths. All tho there is none in Nhill.