Emperor Moth (formerly known as Antheraea astrophela) SATURNIIDAE, BOMBYCOIDEA | (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley |
(Photo: courtesy of
Shane Litherland, Gympie, Queensland)
These Caterpillars are black with brilliant green stripes along and across the body.
There is a red tubercle tipped with white spines at every junction of the transverse and longitudinal green stripes.
The caterpillars have been found feeding on a variety of trees, including:
pupa and opened cocoon
(Photos: courtesy of Sue Beck, Meerschaum Vale, New South Wales)
The caterpillars grow to a length of about 6 cms. The caterpillars pupate in a pale brown tough oval silk cocoon.
The cocoon is usually spun on plants growing below the food tree, and held on a twig by silk threads. The cocoon has a length of about 2 cms.
The female and male adult moths differ: The males are yellower, and the females darker and greyer. Originally they were thought to be different species. Both sexes have a brown eyespot on each wing, as well as two dark lines across each fore wing, and a curved dark line across each hind wing. They have a wingspan of about 8 cms.
The species is found in the eastern quarter of Australia, including
Further reading :
Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia,
Melbourne University Press, 1990, pl. 15.2, p. 406.
Harriet, Helena, and Alexander W. Scott,
Australian Lepidoptera and their Transformations,
Australian Lepidoptera,
Volume 2 (1869), pp. 11-12, and also
Plate 13.
Francis Walker,
Catalogue of Lepidoptera Heterocera,
List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum,
Part 5 (1855), p. 1255, No. 19.
caterpillar | butterflies | Lepidoptera | moths | caterpillar |
(updated 24 March 2013, 16 June 2014, 19 November 2017, 8 July 2019, 18 July 2020)