The Caterpillars of this species have built in balloons. There are two large white patches on each side of the body, and when the Caterpillar is disturbed, these are inflated. It also then exudes a very sticky substance. Otherwise the animals are grey with two tubercles on the back of each segment. These are yellow on most segments except they are red on the middle two segments. There are two red horns on the thorax and on the last abdominal segment.

(Photo: courtesy of Lyn Ford, taken in Dorrigo)

The caterpillars feed openly by day on:

Black Apple ( Planchonella australis, SAPOTACEAE ).

They pupate in crevices of the bark of the food tree in stiff cocoons.

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

The adult moth has red forewings with with dark veins, and with yellow markings along the costa, and at the apex and tornus. The hindwings are plain scarlet. Its wingspan is about 4 cms.

It occurs in

Queensland.

(Specimen: courtesy of Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

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Further reading :

Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia, Melbourne University Press, 1990, pls. 7.21, 24.14, 24,15, p. 298.

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(updated 17 December 2011)