Narycia guildingi

Narycia guildingi (Scott, 1864)
(previously known as Conoeca guildingi)
PSYCHIDAE, TINEOIDEA

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

(Photo: courtesy of Steve Pearson, Airlie Beach, Queensland)

The Caterpillars of this species have been found feeding on a variety of plants including:

Kunzea ( Kunzea corifolia, MYRTACEAE ),

Woolly Teatree ( Leptospermum lanigerum, MYRTACEAE ), and

Common Rush ( Juncus effusus, JUNCACEAE ).

drawing by Harriet & Helena Scott, listed as Conoeca guildingi,
Australian Lepidoptera, Volume 1 (1864), Plate 9,
courtesy of the Australian Museum.

The caterpillars each live in a tapering case covered in bits of chewed bark. The case grows to a length of about 3 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of David Akers, Won Wron, Victoria)

The adult moths of this species is grey with a variable pattern of dark splotches or speckles. The hindwings are grey with darker margins. The abdomen is yellow but usually covered in dark grey hair.

(Photo: courtesy of Ian McMillan, Imbil, Queensland)

The male has only 2/3 the wingspan of the female.

male, drawing by Harriet & Helena Scott, listed as Conoeca guildingi,
Australian Lepidoptera, Volume 1 (1864), Plate 9,
courtesy of the Australian Museum.

The species has been found in

Queensland,

New South Wales,

Victoria, and

Tasmania.

female, drawing by Harriet & Helena Scott, listed as Conoeca guildingi,
Australian Lepidoptera, Volume 1 (1864), Plate 9,
courtesy of the Australian Museum.

Further reading :

Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia,
Melbourne University Press, 1990, p. 179.

Harriet, Helena, and Alexander W. Scott,
Australian Lepidoptera and their Transformations,
Australian Lepidoptera,
Volume 1 (1864), p. 27, Plate 9.

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(written 31 May 2014, updated 30 October 2018)