Gum family : MYRTACEAE (ROSIDAE) in Australia

Flower Families

Don Herbison-Evans (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) & Christine Ashe

Plant Classes

Acmena smithii Lilly Pilly Sydney, September 2006	Agonis flexuosa Willow Myrtle Wyee, August 2008	Angophora costata Apple Gum Sydney, November 2006	Backhousia citriodora Lemon Ironwood Wyee, January 2008
Backhousia myrtifolia Grey Myrtle Wyee, November 2006	Baeckea behrii Broom Heath Myrtle Kamarooka, Victoria Photo: courtesy of Laura Levens	Baeckea virgata Twiggy Heath Myrtle Sydney, November 2008	Callistemon citrinus White Anzac Concord, June 2007
Callistemon viminalis Weeping Bottlebrush Sydney, September 2006	Calothamnus quadrifidus Net Bush Perth, October, 2007	Calytrix tetragona Fringe Myrtle Annuello Reserve, Victoria Photo: courtesy of Laura Levens	Corymbia eximia Yellow Bloodwood Wyee, January 2007
Corymbia maculata Spotted Gum Wyee, May 2008	Corymbia torelliana Cadaghi Bundaberg, October 2006	Darwinia fascicularis Clustered Darwinia Wyee, August 2008	Eucalyptus caesia Silver Princess Churchill, September 1994
Eucalyptus curtisii Plunkett Mallee Sydney, September 2006	Eucalyptus gracilis Yorrell Annuello Reserve, Victoria Photo: courtesy of Laura Levens	Eucalyptus haemastoma Scribbly Gum Lidcombe, November 2006	Eucalyptus incrassata Yellow Mallee Ngarta, South Australia Photo: courtesy of Laura Levens
Eucalyptus leucoxylon Yellow Gum Little Desert, October 1989	Eucalyptus microcorys Tallowwood Concord, June 2007	Eucalyptus nicholii Narrow Leaved Peppermint Concord, February 2007	Eucalyptus propinqua Grey Gum Wyee, February 2008
Eucalyptus sideroxylon Red Ironbark Concord, June 2007	Eugenia uniflora Pitanga Bundaberg, December 2006	Kunzea ambigua Tick Bush Concord, )ctober 2008	Leptospermum petersonnii Lemon Scented Tea Tree Sydney, January 2008
Leptospermum species Tea Tree Sydney, September 2006	Lophostemon confertus Brush Box Sydney, September 2006	Melaleuca ericifolia Swamp Paperbark Sydney, September 2006	Melaleuca gibbosa Slender Honey-myrtle Hobart, January 1982
Melaleuca leucadendra River Tea Tree Magnetic Island, July 2005 Photo: courtesy of Donald Simpson	Melaleuca nesophila Showy Honey Myrtle Sydney, November 2006	Melaleuca nodosa Ball Honeymyrtle Wyee, September 2008	Melaleuca quinquenervia Paperbark Sydney, May 2007
Metrosideros collina Ironwood Sydney, October 2006	Psidium guajava Guava Bundaberg, December 2006	Syncarpia glomulifera Turpentine Wyee, January 2007	Syzygium aqueum Water Apple Magnetic Island, November 2011 Photos: courtesy of Donald Simpson
Syzygium aromaticum Cloves Sydney, September 2007	Syzygium fibrosum Fibrous Satinash specimen: courtesy of Ginger Factory, Yandina, September 2006	Tristaniopsis laurina Swamp Box Sydney, September 2006	Waterhousia floribunda Weeping Lillypilly Photo: courtesy of Ruth Jessop, Coombabah

Xanthostemon chrysanthus Golden Penda Photo: courtesy of Buck Richardson, Kuranda

A few species of Butterfly in Australia have caterpillars which have been found feeding on the foliage of plants in MYRTACEAE, namely:

Chaetocneme beata	Chaetocneme critomedia	Chaetocneme denitza	Netrocoryne repanda	Jamides cyta
Jalmenus daemeli	Hypochrysops apelles	Hypochrysops cyane	Hypochrysops ignita	Hypochrysops miskini
Hypochrysops narcissus	Anthene seltuttus	Hypolycaena phorbas	Arhopala micale	Arhopala centaurus

However, caterpillars of several thousand species of moths in many families, in Australia, do have a preference for feeding on foliage of plants in MYRTACEAE including:

ANTHELIDAE Anthela canescens	CRAMBIDAE Atelocentra chloraspis	EREBIDAE Ophiusa disjungens	EUPTEROTIDAE Cotana serranotata	GELECHIIDAE Ardozyga nyctias
GEOMETRIDAE Gastrophora henricaria	GRACILLARIIDAE Acrocercops calicella	HEPIALIDAE Abantiades atripalpis	HYPERTROPHIDAE Eupselia aristonica	LASIOCAMPIDAE Entometa fervens
LIMACODIDAE Doratifera oxleyi	LYMANTRIIDAE Urocoma baliolalis	NOCTUIDAE Tiracola plagiata	NOTODONTIDAE Trichiocercus sparshalli	OECOPHORIDAE Wingia aurata
OENOSANDRIDAE Discophlebia catocalina	PSYCHIDAE Hyalarcta nigrescens	PYRALIDAE Salma pyrastis	SATURNIIDAE Syntherata janetta	SPHINGIDAE Coequosa australasiae

TORTRICIDAE Strepsicrates macropetana

URANIIDAE Urapteroides astheniata

XYLORYCTIDAE Tymbophora peltastis

ZYGAENIDAE Hestiochora tricolor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Australian butterflies

Australian Lepidoptera

Australian moths

(updated 4 January 2013, 27 February 2023) )