Undetermined Psychidae AH Twisted Pyramid Case Moth PSYCHIDAE,   TINEOIDEA

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

left-handed caterpillar
(Photo: courtesy of Maria Rosenfelder, Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Queensland)

This Caterpillar initially attaches four sticks around its case, all of the same length, and attaches them at right angles to the axis of the case. When the caterpillar grows sufficiently long, it attaches a new set similarly arranged to the old set, except that they are slightly longer, so that the radius of the new part of the case is bigger.

right-handed caterpillar
(Photo: courtesy of Buck Richardson, Kuranda, Queensland)

For this caterpillar: they are attached twisted a few degrees clockwise (viewed from the small end) to the previous set of four for a Right-Handed caterpillar, anti-clockwise for a Left-Handed one.

left-handed caterpillar
(Specimen: courtesy of the The Australian Museum)

The caterpillar does this perhaps a dozen times as it grows, giving the case a right-handed or left-handed corkscrew appearance. The case can grow to a length of up to 3 cms.

Cryptothelea (Oiketicus) dewitzi has been shown with this sort of case, but there may, of course, be more than one species with this style of case decoration.

left-handed caterpillar
(Photo: courtesy of Neil Hewett, Cooper Creek Wilderness, Queensland)

This may the same species as Undetermined Psychid AF, or Undetermined Psychid AG, just forgetting in those cases to add the twist for each layer of sticks.

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(updated 22 April 2011, 22 March 2015, 5 February 2016, 7 August 2017, 8 March 2019)