| Two-ribbed Footman (one synonym: Lithosia fraterna Butler, 1877) LITHOSIINI, ARCTIINAE, EREBIDAE, NOCTUOIDEA | (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley |
(Photo: courtesy of Merlin Crossley, Melbourne, Victoria)
|
| Two-ribbed Footman (one synonym: Lithosia fraterna Butler, 1877) LITHOSIINI, ARCTIINAE, EREBIDAE, NOCTUOIDEA | (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley |
(Photo: courtesy of Merlin Crossley, Melbourne, Victoria)
This Caterpillar has long fine black and white hairs, which appear to be non-irritant. Its body is mottled in black, yellow, and grey. Its head and legs are red. Our specimen was found on a window sill inside the house. It was raised on
growing on damp pieces of bark from an old apple tree. The caterpillar grew to a length of 3 cms.
It pupated inside a cocoon which it spun amongst the twigs.
The forewings are grey-brown with a red or yellow edged cream line along the costa, and a small transparent window (aereole) on each wing. The hind wings are orange. The head is orange, and the thorax brown. The moth has the natural stiff posture which is characteristic of many LITHOSIINI, or "Footmen". The adults have a wingspan up to 3 cms. The double line along the costa, and the absence of a yellow spot in the centre of the thorax, distinguish it from the similar moth Brunia replana.
The species is found over south-eastern Australia including:
Further reading :
Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia,
Melbourne University Press, 1990, fig. 44.3, p. 437.
Pat and Mike Coupar,
Flying Colours,
New South Wales University Press, Sydney 1992, p. 33.
Peter Marriott,
Moths of Victoria - Part 2,
Tiger Moths and Allies - NOCTUOIDEA (A),
Entomological Society of Victoria, 2009, pp. 20-21, 26-27.
Francis Walker,
Catalogue of Lepidoptera Heterocera,
List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum,
Part 2 (1854), pp. 506-507.
 caterpillar |  butterflies |  Lepidoptera |  moths |  caterpillar |
(updated 25 May 2010, 13 May 2018, 26 August 2021)