| Fruit Piercing Moth (previously known as Othreis irridescens) CALPINAE, EREBIDAE, NOCTUOIDEA | (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley |
early instar
(Photo: courtesy of Bart Hacobian, Millaa Millaa, Queensland)
|
| Fruit Piercing Moth (previously known as Othreis irridescens) CALPINAE, EREBIDAE, NOCTUOIDEA | (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley |
early instar
(Photo: courtesy of Bart Hacobian, Millaa Millaa, Queensland)
The caterpillars of this species are smooth and black, with white and yellow spots, and have an enlarged penulimate abdominal segment. When disturbed, the caterpillars rear up the head and tail. The caterpillars have an anal pair of black claspers, plus three pairs of black prolegs.
The caterpillars feed on the vines in MENISPERMACEAE such as
The caterpillar pupated in a loose cocoon of torn paper strewn around in the bottom of the cage, up against the vertical wall of the cage.
The adult moths have patterned brown forewings, and yellow hindwings that have broad black margins. The abdomen is yellow with a black hairy tip. The female has a green slash on each forewing. The wingspan is about 8 cms.
The adult moths attack fruit, damaging them, in order to suck the juice.
The species has been reported in
as well as in Australia in
The caterpillars are attacked by the wasp:
Further reading :
Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia,
Melbourne University Press, 1990, pp. 65, 449.
Thomas P. Lucas,
Descriptions of new Australian Lepidoptera, with additional localities for known species,
Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales,
Series 2, Volume 8 (1894), p. 148.
Buck Richardson,
Mothology,
LeapFrogOz, Kuranda, 2008, pp. 5, 24.
Buck Richardson,
Tropical Queensland Wildlife from Dusk to Dawn Science and Art,
LeapFrogOz, Kuranda, 2015, p. 137.
 caterpillar |  butterflies |  Lepidoptera |  moths |  caterpillar |
(updated 24 February 2011, 27 August 2023)