Dichocrosis clytusalis

Dichocrosis clytusalis (Walker, 1859)
(previously known as : Lygropia clytusalis)
Kurrajong Bag Moth
SPILOMELINI , PYRAUSTINAE , CRAMBIDAE

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

(updated 28 December 2009)

These Caterpillars are green with a sparse hairs and some brown markings. They live communally in a bag formed by rolling up leaves of the food tree and joining them with silk.

A Bag of rolled leaves

They hide in the bag by day, emerging to feed at night. The Caterpillars are very fussy feeders, eating only the soft green parts of a leaf, leaving a skeleton of veins.

Leaf skeletonised by the Caterpillars

They feed on :

Bottle Tree ( Brachychiton rupestre ), STERCULIACEAE ),

Flame tree ( Brachychiton acerifolium, STERCULIACEAE ), and

Kurrajong ( Brachychiton populneus, STERCULIACEAE ).

The Caterpillars grow to a length of about 2 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of Bruce Anstee, Riverstone, Sydney)

The adult moth is bright yellow, with black zig-zag lines across the wings, and a prominent black spot near the middle of each fore wing. The moth has a wingspan of about 2 cms.

(Specimen: courtesy of The Australian Museum)

The species is found mainly inland in the north-eastern half of Australia.