which grow on tree trunks, rocks, old fences, etc. They live in a silken case which they cover in bits of detritus, making a good camouflage. They grow to a case length of about 2 cms.

cut-open case showing caterpillar inside
(Don Herbison-Evans, Sydney, New South Wales)

The caterpillar has an off-white abdomen, but a brown head and thorax. The head and thorax are protected by a hard chitinous skin, whereas the abdomen has only a soft skin. The collar around the head has alternating stries of black and white.

close-up of caterpillar showing head and thorax
(Photo: courtesy of Cath Busby, Cook, Australian Capital Territory)

Normally only the head and thorax are protruded from the case when the caterpillar walks and feeds

Female
(Photo: courtesy of Wendy Moore, Melbourne, Victoria)

The adult female moth has black wings with yellow wingtips and patches. The black parts of the wings and the body have a metallic blue sheen. She has long legs which make up for the fact that her wings do not expand properly, so she cannot fly, and has to walk everywhere.

Female
(Photo: courtesy of Marie-Louise Sendes, Currarong, New South Wales)

She also has a long ovipositor sticking out of her last abdominal segment.

Female: set specimen with the wings artificially expanded
(Photo: courtesy of the The Australian Museum)

The male has a similar pattern and colouring to the female, but has no iridescence. Also, he has fully developed wings, and can fly quite normally.

Male
(Photo: courtesy of Nick Monaghan)

This species is found :

as well as Australia, including

Male
(Specimen: courtesy of the The Australian Museum)

Further reading :

Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia,
Melbourne University Press, 1990, pl. 23.7, p. 179.

Harriet, Helena, and Alexander W. Scott,
Australian Lepidoptera and their Transformations,
Australian Lepidoptera, Volume 1 (1864), p. 29, and also Plate 9: lower right.

Francis Walker,
Catalogue of Lepidoptera Heterocera,
List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum,
Part 2 (1854), p. 486.

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(updated 8 January 2013, 18 April 2023)