White Stemmed Wattle Moth (one synonym: Darala cupreotincta Lucas, 1892) ANTHELINAE, ANTHELIDAE, BOMBYCOIDEA | (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley |
early instar
(Photo: courtesy of
David Akers,
Won Wron, Victoria)
Initially this caterpillar is black with long hairs, and with pairs of yellow warts along the back. Later instars are brown with pale spots, and a pale line along the back. The caterpillar is covered in dense hairs and bristles, which may cause severe irritation if handled.
The head looks as though it is black with brown sides, and seems to have a white face with a flat brown nose.
It has been found feeding on:
and in captivity has accepted
The caterpillar grows to a length of 7 cms. It pupates in a cocoon, often under bark or in a crevice such as under the eaves of buildings.
The cocoon is also covered in bristles which can penetrate the skin and break off, causing pain and irritation.
The adult moth is large, with a wingspan up to 10 cms. It is brown with darker markings, and a pair of small spots on each forewing.
The hindwings are red toward the base, and have a black submarginal castellated marking. The sexes are similar, except that the male has stronger markings than the female, and the antennae are feathery.
The hindwings are normally covered, but are dramatically displayed when the moth is disturbed. The moth sometimes adopts an asymmetrical posture, with the abdomen bent under the wings.
The species occurs over much of the eastern Australia, including:
The eggs are oval and speckled brown, each with a pale circled dark spot at one end. The eggs are laid in an untidy cluster.
Further reading :
Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia,
Melbourne University Press, 1990, pl. 13.1, p. 394.
Pat and Mike Coupar,
Flying Colours,
New South Wales University Press, Sydney 1992, p. 28.
Rudolf Felder,
Zoologischer Theil: Lepidoptera,
Reise der Osterreichischen Fregatte Novara,
Band 2, Abtheilung 2 (5) (1875), p. 3, and also
Plate 98, fig. 10.
Peter Hendry,
The Anthelidae,
Butterflies and Other Invertebrates Club,
Metamorphosis Australia,
Issue 50 (September 2008), pp. 27-31.
Thomas P. Lucas,
On 34 new species of Australian Lepidoptera, with additional localities,
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland,
Volume 8 (1892), pp. 75-76.
Peter Marriott,
Moths of Victoria - Part 1,
Silk Moths and Allies - BOMBYCOIDEA,
Entomological Society of Victoria, 2008, pp. 20-21.
caterpillar | butterflies | Lepidoptera | moths | caterpillar |
(updated 4 March 2013, 7 July 2024)