Lymantria pelospila

Lymantria pelospila Turner, 1915
Tropical Gypsy Moth
(erroneously: Dura pilospila)
LYMANTRIINAE, EREBIDAE, NOCTUOIDEA

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

Lymantria pelospila
early instars, magnified
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Mt Molloy, Queensland)

The early instar caterpillars of this species are hairy and pale brown with pairs of dark marks on the back of several abdominal segments.

last instar
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Mt Molloy, Queensland)

Later instars lose the the dark marks, but develop a pair of pale spots on the back of each abdominal segment, and a gland marked by a dark spot on the back of the two antipenultimate sements.

close-up of head of last instar
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Mt Molloy, Queensland)

The caterpillars feed on the foliage of plants in MYRTACEAE such as

Bottlebrush ( Callistemon species ), and

Gum Trees ( Eucalyptus species ).

cocoon
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Mt Molloy, Queensland)

Pupation occurs in a loose cocoon amongst the leaves of the foodplant.

hairy pupa
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Mt Molloy, Queensland)

The pupa itslf is unusual in being hairy.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Buck Richardson, Kuranda, Queensland)

The male adult moth has forewings that are off-white with zig-zag dark brown markings. The hindwings are plain off-white.

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

The male moth has a wingspan of about 4 cms.

female
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Mt Molloy, Queensland)

The flightless female has no apparent wings, and has a bulbous brown hairy body.

female on her cocoon
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Mt Molloy, Queensland)

The species has been caught in :

Northern Territory, and

Queensland.

eggs laid beside the female's cocoon
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Mt Molloy, Queensland)

The female lays her eggs where she happens to be standing, typically beside her cocoon, in a pile of about 50. The eggs are off-white and spherical, and covered in hairs taken from her abdomen.

males attracted to female still on her cocoon
(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford, Mt Molloy, Queensland)