Metura phyllosacca

Metura phyllosacca Beaver, 2020
(sometimes misidentified as Metura oceanica Viette 1963)
PSYCHIDAE, TINEOIDEA

Metura phyllosacca
(Photo: courtesy of Eathan Beaver, Banyabba, New South Wales)

The Caterpillar of this species covers its case with pieces of leaf. The case can grow to a length of up to 10 cms.

The caterpillar is thought to feed on :

Red Ash ( Alphitonia excelsa, RHAMNACEAE).

male
(Photo: courtesy of Victor W. Fasio, Tinonee, New South Wales)

The adult male moth is basically yellow, with a black thorax, and black hairs along the back of the abdomen. The wingspan is about 5 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of Eathan Beaver)

The species has been found in Australia in

underside
(Photo: courtesy of Eathan Beaver)

Further reading :

Ethan P. Beaver,
Revision of the genus Metura (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) with description of two new species,
Zootaxa,
Volume 4861, Part 2 (2020), pp. 203-205.

Australian
Australian Butterflies

Australian
Australian Moths

(written 19 September 2021, updated 19 July 2024)