Cryptophasa spilonota Scott, 1864
XYLORYCTIDAE,   GELECHIOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Cryptophasa spilonota
drawing by Harriet and Helena Scott
,
Australian Lepidoptera, Volume 1 (1864), Plate 3,
image courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library, digitized by Australian Museum.

This Caterpillar is a variable grey colour, with a series of spots along the back. The head is dark brown. The caterpillar bores a hole into the branch of a tree exuding silk and frass from the entrance. It has been found feeding on various trees, including :

  • Old Man Banksia ( Banksia serrata, PROTEACEAE ).

    The caterpillars grow to a length of about 4 cms. The caterpillars pupate in their borehole.

    Cryptophasa spilonota
    (Photo: courtesy of Axel Kallies, Merrijig, Victoria)

    The adult moth has off-white forewings speckled with grey, and have slightly recurved wing-tips. The hindwings are white. The wingspan is about 4 cms.

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

    The species has been found in :

  • New South Wales, nad
  • Victoria.

    Cryptophasa spilonota
    drawing by Harriet and Helena Scott
    ,
    Australian Lepidoptera, Volume 1 (1864), Plate 3,
    image courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library, digitized by Australian Museum.


    Further reading :

    Michael F. Braby and Penny Olsen.
    A Flutter of Butterflies,
    National Library of Australia, 2011, p. 98.

    Ian McMillan,
    Cryptophasa spilonota, Xyloryctine Moths of Australia,
    Blog, Tuesday, August 17, 2010.

    Harriet, Helena, and Alexander W. Scott,
    Australian Lepidoptera,
    Australian Lepidoptera and their Transformations,
    Volume 1 (1864), p. 10, and also Plate 3.


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    (written 19 June 2014, updated 4 May 2019, 12 March 2021, 9 September 2022)