Eulechria ophiodes (Meyrick, 1889) (previously known as Philobota electrodes) EULECHRIA GROUP OECOPHORINAE,   OECOPHORIDAE,   GELECHIOIDEA

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

(Photo: courtesy of Bronwyn King, Melba, Australian Capital Territory)

The Caterpillar of this species is thought to feed on dead leaves, as do others in this genus Eulechria, although different species in this genus seem each to prefer different host plants. The caterpillar probably lives in a tubular silk lined gallery, incorporating debris and frass, in amongst the dead leaves.

The caterpillar probably pupates in a larger and looser chamber at one end of the gallery.

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

The adult moth has yellow forewings, each with a bold dark mark shaped like a rectangular 'S'. The hindwings are plain dark brown. The wingspan is about 2 cms.

The species has been found in south-eastern Australia, including:

Victoria.

This moth appears looks like a yellow version of Eulechria sigmophora.

---

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, p. 367.

Edward Meyrick,
Descriptions of Australian Micro-lepidoptera. XV. Oecophoridae,
Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales,
Volume 13, Part 4 (1889), pp. 1621-1622, No. 660 (225b).

---

previous caterpillar

Australian butterflies

Australian Lepidoptera

Australian moths

next caterpillar

(written 25 February 2021)