Telecrates laetiorella

Telecrates laetiorella (Walker, 1864)
(previously known as Oecophora laetiorella)
XYLORYCTIDAE, GELECHIOIDEA

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

Telecrates laetiorella
(Photo: courtesy of Donald Hobern, Aranda, Australian Capital Territory)

The Caterpillars of this species often inhabit boreholes of beetles and other species, feeding under the bark of

Gum Trees ( Eucalyptus species, MYRTACEAE ).

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

The adult moths have yellow forewings, each with a broad dark brown basal band and margin. The thorax is yellow, and the head dark brown. The hindwings are brown with yellow fringes. The legs are pale brown with yellow joints. The wingspan is about 2 cms.

The species is found in :

Queensland,

New South Wales,

Australian Capital Territory,

Victoria,

South Australia, and

Western Australia.

Further reading :

Ian F.B. Common, Moths of Australia,
Melbourne University Press, 1990, pl. 5.8, p. 227.

Ian McMillan,
Telecrates, Xyloryctine Moths of Australia,
Blog, Friday, July 2, 2010.