Euproctis melanosoma

Euproctis melanosoma (Butler, 1882)
(one synonym : Porthesia mixta)
LYMANTRIIDAE

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

(updated 2 August 2010)

This animal is easy to identify. It is black and hairy, with two bright red spots on its back (on abdominal segments six and seven). The red spots indicate the position of dorsal glands.

It eats the leaves and flowers of many garden plants and weeds including :

Choco ( Sechium edule, CUCURBITACEAE ),

Oak ( Quercus species, FAGACEAE ),

Geranium ( Pelargonium x zonale, GERANIACEAE ),

Wild Iris ( Dietes grandiflora, IRIDACEAE ),

Brush Box ( Lophostemon confertus, MYRTACEAE ),

Grasses ( POACEAE ),

Roses ( Rosa odorata, ROSACEAE ),

Grape Vine ( Vitis vinifera, VITACEAE ).

It grows to a length of about 3 cms.

view from bottom of bottle of cocoon under a rose petal

It pupates in thin brown cocoon under a leaf or petal of its foodplant.

After about two weeks in summer, the adult moth emerges. It is white all over, except for its conspicuous black compound eyes, and some brown hairs along the inner margins of the forewings. The abdomen is often initially white, but often becomes black. The female has a yellow tuft on its tail.

(Specimen: courtesy of the The Australian Museum)

The scales on its wings are very loose, and rub off at the slightest handling. It has a wingspan of about 3 cms.

The female moth lays her eggs in long disorganised strings, and covers them in hairs from her tail.

The species occurs in:

New South Wales,

Queensland,

Tasmania, and

Victoria.