Abantiades argyrosticha Turner, 1929
 (formerly known as Trictena argyrosticha)
HEPIALIDAE,   HEPIALOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley


(Photo: courtesy of Ian McMillan, Imbil, Queensland)

This Caterpillar lives in the ground, where it feeds on the roots of adjacent Australian native trees, such as :

  • She Oaks ( Casuarina species, CASUARINACEAE ), and
  • Gum Trees ( Eucalyptus species, MYRTACEAE ).


    male
    (Photo: courtesy of Ethan Beaver, Armidale, New South Wales)

    The adult moths typically have brown wings with two silver flash markings across each forewing. The wingspan is up to 10 cms. The moths have tripectinate antennae.

    The species is found in eastern Australia, including:

  • Queensland, and
  • New South Wales.

    Further reading :

    Ian F.B. Common,
    Moths of Australia, Melbourne University Press, 1990, Fig. 17.2, pp. 149,150.

    Thomas J. Simonsen,
    Splendid Ghost Moths and their Allies,
    A Revision of Australian Abantiades, Oncopera, Aenetus, Archaeoaenetus and Zelotypia (Hepialidae),
    Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Volume 12,
    CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, 2018, pp. 28, 47, 96-97, 181, Plate 19.

    A. Jefferis Turner,
    New Australian Lepidoptera,
    Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia,
    Volume 53 (1929), pp. 307-308.

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    (updated 24 May 2010)