HYPERTROPHIDAE in Australia Twig Moths GELECHIOIDEA

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

HYPERTROPHIDAE caterpillar

HYPERTROPHIDAE pupae

HYPERTROPHIDAE moths

HYPERTROPHIDAE undersides

The Caterpillars of this family all make an extraordinary naked pupa, that stands on end like a twig.

Pupa of Hypertropha tortriciformis.

Unfortunately, they sometimes stick it on a leaf.

The members of the family have often been assigned to other families, including OECOPHORIDAE, DEPRESSARIIDAE, and ELACHISTIDAE, but here following Nielsen et al, we treat them as separate family. They only occur in Australasia, and most feed on the foliage of various species of Gum Trees ( Eucalyptus, MYRTACEAE ).

The 50 named Australian members of HYPERTROPHIDAE are:

Acraephnes inscripta
Acraephnes litodes

Eupselia leucaspis
Eupselia melanostrepta
Eupselia metabola

Eupselia philomorpha
Eupselia satrapella

Eupselia theorella
Eupselia tristephana

Hypertropha chlaenota

Hypertropha thesaurella
Hypertropha tortriciformis

Thudaca calliphrontis
Thudaca campylota
Thudaca circumdatella
Thudaca crypsidesma

Thudaca heterastis
Thudaca mimodora

Thudaca monolechria
Thudaca monolinea
Thudaca obliquella

Thudaca trabeata

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(updated 31 October 2014, 25 July 2023)