Antithemerastis acrobela (Turner, 1922)
(formerly known as Themerastis acrobela)
NOTODONTINAE,   NOTODONTIDAE,   NOCTUOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Antithemerastis acrobela
early instar
(Photo: courtesy of Brooke Studt, Wamuran, Queensland)

The Caterpillars of this species are initially green, with a dark diagonal stripe on the side of each segment, a dark line along the back, and a stubby horn on the tail. The head is green, initially with darker green stripes each side, and a dark upside-down 'Y' mark in the middle.

Antithemerastis acrobela
(Photo: courtesy of Brooke Studt, Wamuran, Queensland)

The basic colour changes to yellow in later instars, and the head becomes off-white with brown stripes each side.

Antithemerastis acrobela
(Photo: courtesy of Brooke Studt, Wamuran, Queensland)

The caterpillars have been found feeding on

  • Poison Peach (Trema tomentosa, ULMACEAE)

    Antithemerastis acrobela
    pupa in opened pupal shelter
    with discarded skin and head capsule of final instar

    Antithemerastis acrobela
    pupa and pupal shelter composed of leaves joined with silk
    (Photos: courtesy of Brooke Studt, Wamuran, Queensland)

    The caterpillars grow to a length of about 5 cms. They pupate in a cocoon in a shelter created from leaves of their foodplant joined sparsely with silk.

    Antithemerastis acrobela
    female
    (Photo: courtesy of Buck Richardson, Kuranda, Queensland)

    The adult moths have half off-white and half brown forewings with complex patterns. The hindwings are pale brown, each with a dark mark at the tornus. The wingspan is about 5 cms.

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

    The species is found in

  • Queensland.

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

    The egrs are brown and shaped like tubby barrels. They have a diameter of about 1 mm. They are laid in neat arrays of a dozen or so, on the underside of a foodplant leaf.

    Antithemerastis acrobela
    eggs, magnified
    (Photo: courtesy of Brooke Studt, Wamuran, Queensland)


    Further reading :

    Buck Richardson,
    Tropical Queensland Wildlife from Dusk to Dawn Science and Art,
    LeapFrogOz, Kuranda, 2015, p. 174, (listed as Antithemerastis acrobe).

    A. Jefferis Turner,
    Revision of Australian Lepidoptera. Saturniadae, Bombycidae, Eupterotidae, Notodontidae,
    Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales,
    Volume 47 (1922), p. 383, No. 51.


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    (updated 23 April 2011, 6 February 2021)