Gastridiota adoxima

Gastridiota adoxima (Turner, 1902)
(previously known as Andraca adoxima)
BOMBYCIDAE, BOMBYCOIDEA

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

Gastridiota adoxima
(Photo: courtesy of Ian McMillan, Imbil, Queensland)

The Caterpillars of this species are a mottled grey with yellow spots. They have coloured tubercles on the first, second and last abdominal segments, a yellow head, and a yellow horn on the tail. The caterpillars feed on

Australian native figs (Ficus species, MORACEAE).

(Photo: courtesy of the Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

The adult moths are various shades of brown. The forewings each have two dark wavy submarginal lines between which is a small blurred dark capital 'D' mark, and the area near the base has a dark smudge. The hindwings are similar to the forewings, but the markings are fainter. The males and females in this species both have feathery antennae. The moths have a wingspan of about 4 cms.

The species occurs in the subtropical east of Australia including

Queensland, and

northern New South Wales.