These caterpillars a fawn, with brown and white spots and stripes on the head. The caterpillars grow to a length of about 4 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of Donald Hobern, Blackheath)

The adult moth has brown forewings with a complex pattern. The hind wings are pale, darkening toward the margin, with dark brown veins. The moth has a wingspan of about 5 cms.

The moth is preyed on by the Bolas Spider ( Ordgarius magnificus, ARANEIDAE ). which emits a pheromone similar to that of the female moth to attract male moths within range of a sticky ball of glue which the spider swings on a length of silk.

The species occurs in

South Australia.

Illustration 14 ,   Plate XCI of Hampson's Noctuidae of the British Museum, 1903-1913.
(Courtesy of Joe Kunkel, University of Massachusetts)

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Further reading :

Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia, Melbourne University Press, 1990, p. 60.

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(updated 7 August 2011)