Garrha carnea (Zeller, 1855)
 (previously known as Cryptolechia carnea)
WINGIA GROUP,   OECOPHORINAE,   OECOPHORIDAE,   GELECHIOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans,
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Garrha carnea
(Photo: courtesy of Graeme Cocks, Townsville, Queensland)

The Caterpillars of this species construct a case from two oval pieces of dead foodplant leaf joined with silk, one piece larger than the other. The caterpillars have been found feeding on dead leaves of

  • Gum Trees ( Eucalyptus species, MYRTACEAE ).

    The caterpillars pupate in their case.

    This adult moth has pale brown forewings which have numerous dark brown spots. The hindwings are pale brown darkening toward the wingtips. The antennae are noticeably banded. The wingspan is about 2 cms.

    Garrha carnea
    (Photo: courtesy of CSIRO/BIO Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

    The species has been found in eastern Australia, including:

  • Queensland,
  • New South Wales,
  • Australian Capital Territory,
  • Victoria,
  • Tasmania, and
  • South Australia.

    Garrha carnea
    underside
    (Photo: copyright of Brett and Marie Smith at Ellura Sanctuary, South Australia)

    Further reading:

    Ian F.B. Common,
    Oecophorine Genera of Australia I: The Wingia Group (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae),
    Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Volume 3,
    CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 1994, pp. 294, 299.

    Philipp Christoph Zeller,
    Nachtrag zu den im 9. Bande der Linnea Entomologica beschriebenen Arten des Genus Cryptolechia,
    Zeitschrift herausgegeben von dem Entomologischen Vereine in Stettin,
    Berlin, 10 (1855), pp. 148-150, No. 3-4a.

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    (updated 1 November 2012, 27 July 2019, 27 January 2021)