|
PAINTED APPLE MOTH FACTS |
Identification
The male Painted Apple Moth has dark brown wavy markings and some fine white wavy markings on the forewings. The hindwings are orange with broad black border. The female adult is dull brown, rounded and flightless.
The caterpillar is hairy and variable in colour from yellow to black, although is usually brown. There are tufts of hair on the first four abdominal segments and a tuft of hair on the tail, and two black tufts on the head like horns.
Size
Body length to 10mm. Male wingspan to 20mm
Food
The caterpillars feed on a variety of garden plants including Dahlia, Gladiola, Roses, Primrose, Geranium, Lupin, Banana, Gardenia, Willow and Lantana. It is also a forestry pest in Pinus radiata plantations.
Breeding
The female lays eggs on and near her discarded cocoon. The newly hatched caterpillars disperse by “ballooning” - spinning threads of silk which are caught in the wind (in the same way some spiders disperse). The caterpillars pupate amongst the leaves of the food plant in a cocoon decorated with hairs from the larva skin. The adult moths emerge after a few days.
Range
Native to Australia and is found over most of the country including Tasmania.
Classification
| Class: | Insecta | | Order: | Lepidoptera | | Family: | Lymantriidae | | Genus: | Teia | | Species: | anartoides | | Common Name: | Painted Apple Moth |
|
|
