Elachista mundula

Elachista mundula Kaila, 2011
ELACHISTIDAE, GELECHIOIDEA

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

side view
(Photo: courtesy of Lauri Kaila, from Elachistine Moths of Australia)

The Caterpillars of this species are grey with a vague broad dark line along the back, and some pale spots on the thorax. The caterpillars are smooth, long, thin, and flattened, with a pointed head and tail.

dorsal view
(Photo: courtesy of Lauri Kaila, from Elachistine Moths of Australia)

The caterpillars have been found feeding on

Red-fruit Saw-sedge ( Gahnia sieberiana, CYPERACEAE ).

The caterpillars bore downwards into a leaf of their foodplant creating a translucent yellowish mine between the upper and lower skins of the leaf. The mine is initially narrow, and broadens as the caterpillar matures, reaching a length of up to 12 cms.

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

When mature: the caterpillar exits the mine and forms a naked pupa attached to an adjacent leaf by a silk girdle and some hooks on the underside of the pupa.

The adult moths have fawn forewings with scattered dark dots and dashes. The hindwings are plain fawn. The moths have a wingspan of about 1 cm.

The species has been found in

Victoria,

Tasmania, and

South Australia.

Further reading

Lauri Kaila,
Elachistine Moths of Australia: (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Elachistidae),
Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Vol. 11,
CSIRO Publishing, 2011, pp. 17, 20, 27, 38, 54, 61, 190-192, 268, 285, 355, 412,
including Plates 11.9, 11.10, 28.4; Figs. 86, 87, 256, 257, 406.