Thema stasiastica (Meyrick, 1884) (formerly known as Pleurota stasiastica) CHEZALA GOUP OECOPHORINAE,   OECOPHORIDAE,   GELECHIOIDEA

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

(Photo: courtesy of Ken Harris, Yarra Ranges, Victoria)

The Caterpillars of species in this genus feed on dead leaves in the leaf litter on the ground under trees.

The forewings of the adult moth of this species are white, each with black or dark brown markings, including bands across the thorax, the middle of each forewing, and along the margin of each forewing. The hindwings are pale brown darkening towards the wingtips. The wingspan is about 1.5 cms.

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

The species has been found in

Victoria.

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Further reading :

Ian F.B. Common,
Oecophorine Genera of Australia II: The Chezala, Philobota and Eulechria groups (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae),
Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Volume 5,
CSIRO Publishing, 1997, pp. 175-176.

Edward Meyrick,
Descriptions of Australian Micro-Lepidoptera XI Oecophoriidae,
Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales,
Series 1, Volume 9, Number 3 (1884), pp. 757-758, No. 298.

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(written 2 February 2017, updated 26 October 2018, 31 August 2021)