Trichiocercus sparshalli
Meaning of name: Unknown
Distribution: Found throughout Australia.
Description: This caterpillar grows to approximately 4 centimetres long when fully grown. The ones shown here are yellow but they can also have white, black, brown or red hairs. They often have a tuft of longer hairs sticking up behind the head.
Notes: The caterpillars pupate in a silk cocoon in the debris on the ground. The emerging moths are usually white, but can be grey. They have a wing length (nose to wingtip) of approximately 2 centimetres. The male moths have a tuft of long pale hair on the end of their abdomen.
We have seen this caterpillar in September.
See the moth – https://www.friendsofqueensparkbushland.org.au/moth-51/
References: Atlas of Living Australia https://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:13f8f6f4-21db-44a5-8c33-5dafb6fcbc69
http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/noto/sparshalli.html
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These caterpillars are known to eat plants in the Myrtaceae family.
This caterpillar is on the leaf of Eucalyptus todtiana.
The adult male of this caterpillar has a tuft of hair at the end of the abdomen.
