CYCLOTORNIDAE of Australia
 Antworms
 ZYGAENOIDEA
 
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

CYCLOTORNIDAE

eggs
  
CYCLOTORNIDAE

caterpillars
 
CYCLOTORNIDAE

pupae
 
CYCLOTORNIDAE

moths

Some of the caterpillars of this family are thought to be carnivorous, feeding initially on
   Leaf Hoppers ( CICADELLIDAE ), and
   Scale Insects ( COCCOIDEA ), and later on
    the larvae and pupae of Ants ( FORMICIDAE ).
The caterpillars are thought to emit a kairomone that induces ants to take the caterpillars into the ants' nest.

The 5 named Australian species in CYCLOTORNIDAE are:

Cyclotorna diplocentra
Cyclotorna egena
Cyclotorna ementita
Cyclotorna experta
Cyclotorna monocentra

Further reading :

F.P. Dodd,
Some remarkable ant-friend Lepidoptera of Queensland,
Transactions of the Entomological Society of London,
1911, pp. 577-589.

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(updated 31 May 2014, 2 April 2017)