Anthela barnardi

Anthela barnardi Turner, 1922
ANTHELINAE, ANTHELIDAE, BOMBYCOIDEA

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

Anthela barnardi
(Photo: courtesy of Geoff Byrne, Coral Bay, Western Australia)

This Caterpillar is white and hairy, with a pale brown head.

(Photo: courtesy of Geoff Byrne, Coral Bay, Western Australia)

The caterpillar was found feeding on

Crisp Borage ( Heliotropium crispatum, BORAGINACEAE ).

cocoon
(Photo: courtesy of Geoff Byrne, Coral Bay, Western Australia)

The caterpillar pupated in a white cocoon in between leaves of its foodplant.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Geoff Byrne, Coral Bay, Western Australia)

The adult moths of this species have yellow or pale brown wings, each normally with two black spots near the costa, and with vague dark transverse arcs composed of radial black dashes. The wingspan of the female is about 4.5 cms. The wingspan of the male is about 3.5 cms.

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

The females have hooked tips to the forewings.

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

The species has been found in

Western Australia,

Northern Territory,

Queensland, and

South Australia.

underside
(Photo: courtesy of Geoff Byrne, Coral Bay, Western Australia)

Further reading :

A. Jefferis Turner,
Revision of Australian Lepidoptera. Saturniadae, Bombycidae, Eupterotidae, Notodontidae,
Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales,
Volume 47 (1922), pp. 351-352.

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(written 4 November 2018, updated 19 September 2025)