Porela cinerea

Porela cinerea (Boisduval, 1832)
(one synonym is: Clathe arida Walker, 1855)
LASIOCAMPINAE, LASIOCAMPIDAE, BOMBYCOIDEA

Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Porela cinerea
early instar
(Photo: courtesy of Rachael, Wollongong, New South Wales)

This Caterpillar has dense grey, brown, black and white lateral hairs, which extend forward by the head to look like a moustache. Its back has white patches and a number of small knobs of various shades of red, brown and black. There is a knob on the last abdominal segment. The sides of the head capsule look like two enormous grey eyes, divided by two vertical black lines.

later instar
(Photo: Don Herbison-Evans, Sydney, New South Wales)

The later instars of this caterpillar is very hard to see when on its foodplant, despite being quite spectacular in appearance. It is hard to find because it often lies along a stem, usually by a fork, so that its moustaches align with the stems of the fork.

(Photo: courtesy of Bruce Anstee, Riverstone, New South Wales)

The caterpillar has been found on

Beach Cherry ( Eugenia reinwardtiana ),

Water Gum ( Tristaniopsis laurina ),

Brush Box ( Lophostemon confertus ),

Paperbark ( Melaleuca species ),

Bottlebrush ( Callistemon species ),

Tea Tree ( Leptospermum species), and

Tick Bush ( Kunzea species),

all of MYRTACEAE.

Two cocoons: one opened to show the pupa.
(Photo: Don Herbison-Evans, Sydney, New South Wales)

The caterpillar grows to a length of about 4 cms. It pupates in a cocoon spun between leaves of the foodplant.

(Photo: courtesy of Merilyn Thomas, Townsville, Queensland, and Steven Dodge)

The moth is brown with a fine intricate pattern on the forewings of white and grey. The hindwings are plain rusty brown. The moth has a fat abdomen, and a wingspan of about 3 cms.