Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo at lunch

[Andrew Taylor <>]

On Tue, 25 Jul 2000, Brian Fleming wrote:
>  I am now wondering what the species of grub was, and what it would have
> been if it had had the chance to 'graduate' (as an academic friend once
> put it). It was certainly well worth the effort expended by the cockatoo
> to capture it.

It might have been the larvae of Xyleutes liturata, a large moth.
Common's Moths of Australia mentions its larvae have been found in Acacia
dealbata.  The larvae of moths in this genus are often called Witchety
grubs and the genus includes the "true"  Witchety grub.  Common has a
B/W picture of the moth and a few paragraphs on its lifecycle.

Andrew Isles was selling Common's (out of print?) book for half price
($75?)  Its a very worthwhile addition to a library on Australian
wildlife.

Andrew Taylor


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