| (formerly known as Themerastis acrobela) NOTODONTINAE, NOTODONTIDAE, NOCTUOIDEA | (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley |
early instar
(Photo: courtesy of Brooke Studt, Wamuran, Queensland)
|
| (formerly known as Themerastis acrobela) NOTODONTINAE, NOTODONTIDAE, NOCTUOIDEA | (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley |
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.
The basic colour changes to yellow in later instars, and the head becomes off-white with brown stripes each side.
The caterpillars have been found feeding on
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.
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.
The species is found in
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.
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.
 caterpillar |  butterflies |  Lepidoptera |  moths |  caterpillar |
(updated 23 April 2011, 6 February 2021)