These caterpillars are hairy and mostly black, with some brown hairs along the sides in the middle. The caterpillars have been found feeding on plants in the family ASTERACEAE.

cocoon
(Specimen : courtesy of A. Kallies,
photo: courtesy of Peter Marriott)

The pupa is dark brown and formed inside a brown cocoon.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Peter Marriott)

The adult moth males and females are very different.

The males have a bold black and yellow pattern on each forewing, except for a broad black margin containing a number of white marks. Each hindwing of the male is yellow with a broad black margin and a central black spot. The wingspan is about 3 cms.

female
(Specimen : courtesy of A. Kallies,
photo: courtesy of Peter Marriott)

The female moth is bulbous, brown, and hairy, with tiny wings. Its length is about 1.5 cms.

eggs
(Specimen : courtesy of A. Kallies,
photo: courtesy of Peter Marriott)

The eggs are white, smooth, and nearly spherical. They are laid in small clusters on or near the previous cocoon of the female.

The species is found in the mountains of south-eastern Australia, including

Victoria.

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Further reading :

Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia, Melbourne University Press, 1990, pl 19.17, p. 436.

Peter Marriott,
Moths of Victoria, Part 2, Entomological Society of Victoria, 2009, pp. 28-29.

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(updated 15 November 2009)