The early instars are a translucent pale green with a black spot each side of the second abdominal segment, and a pale brown head. The first pair of prolegs is underdeveloped, so that it moves in a looper fashion.

later instar

Later instars are opaque and fawn with dark speckles, with a pair of small horns on the last abdominal segment.

last instar

The last instar is uniformly fawn with dark spiracles. The Caterpillar grows to a length of about 4 cms.

The adult moth is light and dark brown in a pattern on the forewings that resembles distinctive eye and eyebrow markings.

(Photo: courtesy of Buck Richardson, LeapFrogOz, Kuranda)

The moths have a wingspan of about 6 cms. The markings are much less striking in a set specimen.

female
from Illustration 2 on Plate CCXXII of Hampson's Noctuidae of the British Museum, 1903-1913.
(Courtesy of Joe Kunkel, University of Massachusetts)

The species is found in Australasia, including

Further reading :

Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia, Melbourne University Press, 1990, fig. 46.7, p. 453.

previous caterpillar

Australian butterflies

Australian caterpillars

Australian moths

next caterpillar

(updated 9 August 2011)