Undetermined Psychidae AF Pyramid Casemoth PSYCHIDAE,   TINEOIDEA

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

(Photo: courtesy of Buck Richardson, Kuranda, Queensland)

This caterpillar initially attaches four sticks in a square around its case, all of the same length, and attaches them at right angles to the axis of the case. As the caterpillar grows: it keeps attaching a new set similarly arranged to the old set, except that they are slightly longer, so forming a larger square aligned with the previous four, so that the case grows like a pyramid.

Cryptothelea (Oiketicus) dewitzi may create this sort of case, or this may a variant case of Undetermined Psychid AF, just adding a left twist for each layer of sticks, or it may be the same species as Undetermined Psychid AH, just forgetting to add the right twist for each layer of sticks, or Undetermined Psychid AI, just being tidier.

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(updated 22 April 2011, 22 July 2024)