Some Lepidoptera photos by
Ken Harris

Morwell National Park
Victoria

ANTHELIDAE

11: I came home from a walk in Morwell National Park on 8th April 2002 and found the caterpillar on the back of my neck. Its hairs were somewhat irritating. I had no idea what plant it was on, but the trees where I had been walking were mostly Eucalypts and Blackwoods. I placed it in a jar with some Eucalypt leaves and some Blackwood leaves. It accepted the Blackwood ( Acacia melanoxylum ) leaves. I kept it supplied with leaves for 3-4 weeks, which it ate regularly. The caterpillar grew to about 4 to 5 cm long. It then began to weave a cocoon, which was very hairy, as if the hairs from the outside of the caterpillar had been incorporated in the cocoon. It pupated inside the cocoon, which was attached to a Blackwood stem and leaves. The pupa inside was a dark chocolate colour.
Probably Anthela nicothoe

12: number 11 again
probably Anthela nicothoe

While exploring the top of Mt. Buffalo,, one of the Latrobe Valley Field Nats discovered this beautiful caterpillar in a pea shrub (Bossiaea foliosa) underneath snow gums (Eucalyptus pauciflora).
Chenuala heliaspis

I have just discovered that we found a second specimen of the same caterpillar two days later at another spot on top of Mt. Buffalo It would suggest a liking for the Alpine environment..
Chenuala heliaspis

Larva Pterolocera rubescens

Cocoon Pterolocera rubescens

Pupa Pterolocera rubescens

Female Pterolocera rubescens

ARCTIIDAE

pupa and cocoon of
Ardices glatignyi

15: Thallarcha partita,
imperfect specimen,
found on the ground on a track in
Morwell National Park,
16 October 2004

CARPOSINIDAE,

Carposina latebrosa,
Mallacoota, Victoria

COSMOPTERIGIDAE,

Leptozestis harmosta,
Genoa, Victoria

CRAMBIDAE

Eurybela trophoessa

29: Hednota grammellus

28: Hednota opulentellus,

36: Deuterarcha xanthomela

Metasia capnochroa

9: Tipanaea patulella,
photographed in a salt marsh in the Gippsland Lakes in Victoria, 20 November 1993.

GEOMETRIDAE

0: unidentified caterpillar
possibly Oenochroma species
photographed on Hakea species
(probably Hakea lissosperma)
in Tasmania, 30 January 1982

1: unidentified moth,
possibly Scioglyptis species
ENNOMINAE,
photographed at Churchill, Victoria, 9 March 2002.

26: Epidesmia chilonaria

27: Phelotis cognata

16: Ectropis excursaria ?

31: Chrysolarentia insulsata

34: Chrysolarentia lucidulata,

Scopula rubraria

44: Dichromodes stilbiata

Monoctenia falernaria

30: Epyaxa hyperythra,

Oxyphanes thiobapta

Apodasmia rufonigraria

20: Chrysiphona ocultaria,

21: Chrysiphona ocultaria,
underside

22: Oenochroma vinaria,
caterpillar

Chloroclystis metallospora
male

Chloroclystis metallospora
female

HEPIALIDAE

25: Oxycanus antipoda

10: Trictena atripalpis
photographed in Churchill on 4 May 1993.

13: Oxycanus dirempta

14: Abantiades hyalinatus

17: Abantiades labyrinthicus

33: Abantiades labyrinthicus

HESPERIIDAE

35: Hesperilla ornata,

23: Ocybadistes walkeri

LASIOCAMPIDAE

24: Genduara acedesta

LYMANTRIINAE

7: Iropoca rotundata,
photographed in the Victorian Alps, 5 November 1994.

NOCTUIDAE

5: Cruria synopla,
photographed in Sydney, 19 January 1988.

8: Persectania ewingii,
photographed on the Bogong High Plains, 8 November 1998.

18: Persectania ewingii

19: Persectania ewingii

6: Fodina ostorius,
photographed at the Den of Nargun Reserve on the MacAlister River, Victoria, 13 January 2001.

Praxis porphyretica

NYMPHALIDAE

32: larva of
Vanessa itea

40: Geitoneura minyas

OECOPHORIDAE

41: Catacometes hemiscia

42: Drepanocera microstigmata

Garrha limbata

42: Myrascia bracteatella

43: Periallactis monostropha

Pholeutis neolecta

Stathmopoda cephalaea

PSYCHIDAE

2: Lepidoscia cataphracta,
live moth, length 1.5 cms, photographed on a stem of Carex appressa, Morwell National Park, 4 November 2001

39: Lepidoscia guildingi

PTEROPHORIDAE

Stenoptilia phaeonephes

PYRALIDAE

37: Gauna aegusalis

SPHINGIDAE

3: Agrius convolvuli
on Morning glory Ipomoea indica in Churchill, Victoria, 27 December 1989

4: Agrius convolvuli
caterpillar also on Ipomoea indica photographed in Churchill, Victoria, 26 March 1989,

TINEIDAE

Mesopherna palustris

TORTRICIDAE

Merophyas therina

38: Oxysemaphora notialis

Technitis oriarcha
During a field naturalists camp-out, I was light-trapping for moths in Mt. Buffalo National Park and on the evening of 2/2/2018 I was set up on the cricket oval on the top of Mt. Buffalo close to the Chalet. A moth that was new to me came to the light and I eventually found it under the name Tortrix oriarcha. Further research shows that the ALA and Faunal Directory use the name Technitis oriarcha.

YPONOMEUTIDAE

Zelleria cyanoleuca

and the following Caterpillar food plants :

  • Backhousia myrtifolia
  • Brachychiton discolor
  • Brachychiton populneus
  • Caesalpinia pulcherrima
  • Dichanthium sericeum
  • Eucalyptus caesia
  • Eucalyptus leucoxylon
  • Halgania cyanea
  • Hypericum calycinum
  • Lomandra multiflora
  • Macroptilium atropurpureum
  • Macroptilium lathyroides
  • Marsdenia rostrata
  • Marsdenia suaveolens
  • Melaleuca gibbosa
  • Parsonsia straminea
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    Don Herbison-Evans
    (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)

    (updated 15 March 2005, 13 February 2023)