Epicoma contristis

Epicoma contristis Hübner, 1823
Yellow-spotted Epicoma
(one synonym : Epicoma tristis Hübner, [1819])
THAUMETOPOEINAE, NOTODONTIDAE, NOCTUOIDEA

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

Epicoma contristis
(Photo: courtesy of Rog Standen, Mt Eliza, Victoria)

The early instars of this Caterpillar are hairy, and off-white with a black head. They occasionally may be seen in procession, each following the silken thread left by the one in front. The caterpillars are gregarious, feeding nocturnally, and sheltering under leaves by day.

(Photo: courtesy of Rog Standen, Mt Eliza, Victoria)

The later instars are dark grey and hairy. Its head capsule is white with red sides bordered with black. The true legs are red and the prolegs are orange. There is also an orange lateral line along each side, with a row of orange spots above it. The body is speckled with yellow dots.

(Photo: courtesy of Rog Standen, Mt Eliza, Victoria)

The caterpillars have been found feeding on the foliage of:

She Oak ( Casuarina, CASUARINACEAE ),

Gum Trees ( Eucalyptus, MYRTACEAE ),

Tea Trees ( Leptospermum, MYRTACEAE ), and

Paper Barks ( Melaleuca, MYRTACEAE ).

The caterpillars grow to a length of about 3 cms.

cocoon
(Photo: courtesy of Rog Standen, Mt Eliza, Victoria)

When the caterpillar is mature: it pupates amongst the leaf litter under its foodplant in a fawn elliptical cocoon decorated with larval hairs.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Rog Standen, Mt Eliza, Victoria)

The adults have forewings that are dark brown speckled with silver, with two rows of pale orange and yellow spots along the termen. The central area of each forewing often has an irregular dark mark with a yellow dot in the middle. There is sometimes a vague dark bar across the middle of each forewing. The hindwings are dark brown with an orange border.

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

The male moths often have an extra yellowish vaguely triangular mark by the central dark area towards the wingtip of each forewing.

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

The abdomen is black with orange dorsal spots and an orange anal tuft. The wingspan is about 3.5 cms.

When a moth is threatened, it is inclined to lie down and look dead, with its wings lifted high and the abdomen curved under, displaying this orange tuft.

moth playing dead
(Photo: courtesy of Rog Standen, Mt Eliza, Victoria)

The eggs are white, laid in cluster and covered in hairs. They seem to be laid anywhere, and the caterpillars left to find a suitable food plant hopefully in the vicinity.

female with eggs
(Photo: courtesy of Cathy Devries, Sandringham, Victoria)

The caterpillars are very similar to those of other Epicoma species. The only superficial difference appears to be the absence of the two long white hairs which grow behind the head of caterpillars of other Epicoma species.

The adult moths are very similar those of Epicoma tristis, and some taxonomists consider Epicoma contristis to be a junior synonym of Epicoma tristis.

The species is found over much of Australia, including:

Queensland,

New South Wales,

Australian Capital Territory,

Victoria,

Tasmania,

South Australia, and

Western Australia

male, underside
(Photo: courtesy of Graeme Cocks, Townsville, Queensland)