Lomera xanthochrysa

Lomera xanthochrysa (Meyrick & Lower, 1907)
(formerly known as Plutorectis xanthochrysa)
OIKETICINAE, PSYCHIDAE, TINEOIDEA

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

Lomera xanthochrysa
(Photo: courtesy of Brian Richards, Murdoch University, Western Australia)

This Caterpillar lives in a portable silk case, which it camouflages with sticks, which are aligned roughly across the case axis.

(Photo: courtesy of Michelle Gooding, West Arthur, Western Australia)

The caterpillars feed on

Gum Leaves (Eucalyptus species, MYRTACEAE).

female
(Photo: courtesy of Diane Rudwick, Mundaring, Western Australia)

Only the chitinised head and thorax are normally protruded from the case to crawl and feed. They are off-white with a complex brown pattern. The grey unprotected abdomen is kept shielded in the case.

(Photo: courtesy of Diane Rudwick, Mundaring, Western Australia)

Lomera species
(Photo: courtesy of Brian Richards, Murdoch University, Western Australia)

close ups of head and thorax

The case of the male grows to a length of up to 4 cms. The case of the female grows to a length of up to 6 cms.

empty pupal case of male
(Photo: courtesy of Annamarie Boddy, Mahogany Creek, Western Australia)

The male protrudes the pupa at the tail-end of the case before emerging.

male adult
(Photo: courtesy of Diane Rudwick, Mundaring, Western Australia)

The adult male moth has a wingspan of about 3 cms. It has black wings, black antennae, and a hairy orange-brown head, thorax, and abdomen. The black scales on the wings rapidly wear off, leaving the wings nearly transparent.

female adult, protruding her abdomen
(Photo: courtesy of Diane Rudwick, Mundaring, Western Australia)

The female emerges inside the case. She does not leave her case when mature, but just protrudes her abdomen, presumably emitting pheromones to attract a male.

The species has found in

Queensland,

Tasmania, and