This Caterpillar is usually brown and hairy with four dorsal tufts of white hair on abdominal segments one to four, and two lateral tufts each side from segments one and two also. There are two dark hair pencils on the head and one on the tail. The hairs can cause skin irritation ( urticaria ) in sensitive people.

yellow form
(Photo: courtesy of Trevor Jinks, North Burnett)

There appear to be two colour forms of this caterpillar, the second having the body yellow, the tussocks pale brown, and the head red.

The Caterpillars have been found feeding on a variety of plants including:

Spider Flowers ( Grevillea species, PROTEACEAE ).

They pupate amongst the leaves of the foodplant.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Buck Richardson, Kuranda)

The male has brown patterned forewings.

The species has been found in :

South Australia.

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Further reading :

Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia, Melbourne University Press, 1990, fig. 43.7, pl. 30.10, p. 428.

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(updated 24 November 2010)