The caterpillars have the same colours and segmented structure as the stems of their foodplant, so are very well camouflaged. They are very similar to the caterpillars of Munychryia senicula and Boarmia suasaria which feed on the same foodplant, and so are similarly camouflaged.

(Photo: courtesy of Daniel Heald, Mandogalup, Western Australia)

The adult moth of this species have grey forewings, each with two dark sinuous transverse bands. The hindwings are off-white, each with a broad dark margin.

The wingspan of the males is about 3 cms. The wingspan of the females is about 10% more than the males.

The species has been found in:

The adult moths have vestigial degenerate mouth-parts, like all BOMBYCOIDEA, so cannot feed.

(Photo: courtesy of CSIRO/BIO Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

Further reading:

Ian F. B. Common and Noel McFarland,
A new subfamily for Munychryia Walker and Gephyroneura Turner (Lepidoptera: Anthelidae) and the description of a new species from Western Australia.,
Journal of the Australian Entomological Society,
Volume 9 (1970), pp. 11-12.

previous caterpillar

Australian butterflies

Australian Lepidoptera

Australian moths

next caterpillar

(written 22 June 2023, updated 25 June 2023)