Trichiocercus sparshalli

Common name: Sparshall’s Moth

Meaning of name:

Unknown.

Distribution:

Found throughout Australia.

Description:

This caterpillar grows to approximately 40 millimetres 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 20 millimetres. The male moths have a tuft of long pale hair on the end of their abdomen.

We have photographed this caterpillar in September.

References:

Atlas of Living Australia https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/69a7cfa9-2857-4f53-a1b4-99d1733b1dcd

Butterfly House http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/noto/sparshalli.html

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