Australian PSYCHIDAE

PSYCHIDAE in Australia
Bagworms, Casemoths
TINEOIDEA

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

PSYCHIDAE

eggs

PSYCHIDAE

caterpillars

PSYCHIDAE

cases

PSYCHIDAE

pupae

PSYCHIDAE

males

PSYCHIDAE

females

PSYCHIDAE

undersides

These Caterpillars construct a case around themselves using silk, so are commonly called Bag Worms or Case Moths. Most camouflage it with pieces of material from their environment, often characteristically chosen and arranged by that species. They have an anterior hole in the case through which the head and thorax protrude while feeding. They have a posterior hole for excretion. They pupate within their case, generally after securing the front to a twig securely with silk, so that it swings freely. In some species the adult female is wingless, and remains in her case for the male to visit her. She actually lays her eggs in the case.

The caterpillars of the known named species each decorate their cases in a consistent pattern for that species, so it is tempting to ascribe caterpillars with cases that do not conform to these known patterns to other so-far undetermined species. Note that the caterpillars of ADELIDAE, HELIOCOSMA GROUP, and TINEIDAE also make and live in portable cases.

Some notable members of the 350 Australian named species of PSYCHIDAE are:

Archaeoneura amictopis

Ardiosteres lacerata
Ardiosteres moretonella : Scruffy Casemoth

Ardiosteres sporocosma

Ardiosteres tetrazona

Ardiosteres trifasciana

Ardiosteres velutinana

Bathromelas hyaloscopa : Buloke Bagworm

Cebysa leucotelus : Australian Bagmoth

Chalia grisea

Clania hemitricha
Clania ignobilis : Faggot Casemoth
Clania lewinii : Stick Casemoth

Clania persimilis

Clania photidias

Clania sciogramma

Clania variegata

Colpotorna lasiopa

Conoeca guildingi

Cryptothelea persimilis

Dappula tertius

Elinostola agriodes

Gyrophylla eumetra

Hyalarcta huebneri : Leaf Casemoth
Hyalarcta nigrescens : Ribbed Casemoth
Hyalarcta species

Hyaloptila hyalosoma
Hyaloptila melanosoma

Iphierga chrysopa

Iphierga chrysophaes

Iphierga dispersa

Iphierga euphragma

Iphierga lysiphracta
Iphierga macarista
Iphierga melichrysa

Iphierga stasiodes

Lepidoscia acropolia
Lepidoscia adelopis
Lepidoscia annosella
Lepidoscia arctiella : Tower Casemoth
Lepidoscia bancrofti
Lepidoscia basiferana
Lepidoscia carlotta
Lepidoscia cataphracta
Lepidoscia characota
Lepidoscia chloropetala
Lepidoscia confluens
Lepidoscia dicranota
Lepidoscia euryptera
Lepidoscia glabrella
Lepidoscia heliochares
Lepidoscia irrorea : Mottled Casemoth
Lepidoscia lainodes : Jumble Casemoth
Lepidoscia melitora
Lepidoscia polymeres
Lepidoscia protorna
Lepidoscia punctiferella
Lepidoscia retinochra
Lepidoscia saxosa
Lepidoscia stenomochla
Lepidoscia tetramochla
Lepidoscia tyrobathra

Lomera aristocosma

Lomera bicolor
Lomera boisduvalii
Lomera caespitosae

Lomera capnaea

Lomera crocobathra

Lomera dewitzi

Lomera dysmorpha

Lomera felinus

Lomera fulva

Lomera gymnophasa
Lomera lurida

Lomera melanodes

Lomera pantosemna

Lomera paura

Lomera pelloceros

Lomera thermacula

Lomera ulias

Lomera walkeriana
Lomera xanthochrysa : Lateral Casemoth
Lomera zophopepla

Mesopherna niphopasta

Metura aristocosma
Metura elongatus : Saunders Casemoth
Metura falcata : Lord Howe Casemoth
Metura phyllosacca

Napecoetes belogramma
Napecoetes chrysomitra
Napecoetes scoteina

Oecobia frauenfeldi

Oiketicus herrichii : Smooth Casemoth
Oiketicus species : Two-ways Casemoth

Paracharactis leeuweni

Phasmyalea pellucida

Piestoceros conjunctella

Plutorectella abdominalis

Psychanisa baliodes
Psychanisa guttata

Sentica felderi
Sentica oppositella

Trigonocyttara clandestina : Stickless Casemoth

Illustrated below are PSYCHIDAE caterpillars that decorate their cases with patterns differing from those named species above, in the hope that someone who finds any of these can rear it to get an adult moth which can be identified:-