Lepidoscia lainodes

Lepidoscia lainodes (Meyrick, 1893)
Jumble Casemoth
PSYCHIDAE, TINEOIDEA

Lepidoscia lainodes
(Photo: courtesy of Diana Davey, Wooli, New South Wales)

These caterpillars decorate their cases with a jumble of short knobbly bits of twig.

The caterpillars have been found feeding on

Cordyline (Cordyline species, ASPARAGACEAE), and

Bay Leaf (Laurus nobilis, LAURACEAE).

The cases reached a length of about 1 cm.

showing split partly eclosed pupal skin
(Photo: courtesy of Linda Hoelle, Braemar, New South Wales)

For the adult male moth to emerge : the pupa is extruded from the anal end of the case.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Linda Hoelle, Braemar, New South Wales)

The adult male moths of this species have dark brown forewings, each with ragged white markings including a ragged white band across the middle.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Diana Davey and Leonie Kirchmajer, Wooli, New South Wales)

The hindwings of the male are plain brown. The wingspan is about 1.5 cms. The top of the head has a pale tuft of scales.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Robert_Briggs, Katikati, New Zealand)

The females are dark brown and exit from the larval case in a similar fashion to the males The females have no wings, and are flightless.

female standing on the pupal case from which she has emerged
(Photo: courtesy of Sarah Renneberg, Dapto, New South Wales)

The species has been found in

as well as in Australia in

male showing underside
(Photo: courtesy of Linda Hoelle, Braemar, New South Wales)