Pararguda crenulata

Pararguda crenulata (T.P. Lucas, 1894)
(one synonym : Aspiducha monotona Grünberg, 1923)
LASIOCAMPINAE, LASIOCAMPIDAE, BOMBYCOIDEA

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

Pararguda crenulata
third instar
(Photo: courtesy of Marlene Walter, Clifton Hill, Victoria)

The caterpillars of this species are furry and a speckled pale brown, and have a black triangular knob on the back of the penultimate segment. The head of early instars has two black marks, like eyebrows. In later instars, these become dark red zigzag marks.

fifth instar
(Photo: courtesy of Marlene Walter, Clifton Hill, Victoria)

When perturbed, the caterpillars display two ragged black bands edged with white behind the thorax.

display mode
(Photo: courtesy of Marlene Walter, Clifton Hill, Victoria)

The underside shows orange legs, and a series of dark red spots, one under each segment.

underside
(Photo: courtesy of Marlene Walter, Clifton Hill, Victoria)

The caterpillars feed on:

various species of Gum Trees (Eucalyptus, MYRTACEAE).

cocoon showing between joined leaves

Pararguda crenulata
cocoon revealed
(Photos: courtesy of Marlene Walter, Clifton Hill, Victoria)

The female caterpillars grow to a length of about 6.5 cms. The male caterpillars to 5 cms. The caterpillars pupate in a thin papery cocoon between joined leaves or in ground debris.

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

The adult moths are brown sometimes with a series of pale lines along the forewings which give the impression that the wings are pleated. The wings have scalloped margins, and the forewings have slightly hooked wingtips. Some moths have a dark spot near the middle of each forewing, The males have a wingspan of about 4 cms. The females have a wingspan of about 6 cms.

female
(Photo: courtesy of Graeme Cocks, Townsville, Queensland)

The eggs are white and nearly spherical, with a black cap. The eggs have a diameter of about 0.5 mm.

eggs being laid
(Photo: courtesy of Graeme Cocks, Townsville, Queensland)

This species appears to occur in

Tasmania, and

male
(Photo: courtesy of CSIRO/BIO Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

The DNA evidence indicates that specimens currently called Pararguda crenulata fall into at least four distinct clusters. So it is likely that four or more different species have been clumped together under one name in various collections.

One has both males and females with a forewing black spot, from Queensland to Victoria,

Another has only males with the dark spot,

The third has no dark spot, and has been found from Dubbo to Tasmania,

The Western Australian specimens are probably yet another species.

male, showing underside
(Photo: courtesy of Ian McMillan, Imbil, Queensland)