Fraus crocea (T.P. Lucas, 1891)
(previously known as Hectomanes crocea)
Pink Fraus
HEPIALIDAE,   HEPIALOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

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

The Caterpillars of this species are thought to feed on

  • Grasses ( POACEAE ), and
  • Sedges ( CYPERACEAE )

    The adult moths are plain, varying in colour from pale yellow through brown to red and grey, but with a dark mark near the middle of each forewing. The scales on the wings are very loose, easily rubbing off. The moths have very hairy legs and thorax. The male moths have a wingspan of about 2 cms. The females are bigger, with a wingspan of about 3.5 cms.

    Fraus crocea
    (Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

    The species is found in

  • Queensland,
  • New South Wales, and
  • Victoria.


    Further reading :

    Axel Kallies,
    Moths of Victoria - Part 6,
    Ghost Moths - HEPIALIDAE and Allies
    ,
    Entomological Society of Victoria, 2015, pp. 10-11.

    Thomas P. Lucas,
    On Queensland and other Australian Macro-Lepidoptera, with Localities and Descriptions of new Species,
    Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales,
    Series 2, Volume 6, Part 2 (1891), p. 283.

    Nielsen E.S. & Kristensen N.P.
    Primitive Ghost Moths : Morphology and Taxonomy of the Australian Genus Fraus Walker (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae s. lat.)
    Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Volume 1,
    CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, 1989.


    previous
    back
    caterpillar
    Australian
    Australian Butterflies
    butterflies
    Australian
    home
    Lepidoptera
    Australian
    Australian Moths
    moths
    next
    next
    caterpillar

    (updated 23 May 2010, 29 April 2014)