FW: caterpillar

From: Edwards, Ted (Entomology, Black Mountain) 
Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2006 9:29 AM
To: 
Subject: caterpillar

Dear All,
Muriel Edwards has passed on a photo of a larva (caterpillar) of a moth that Roy Harvey has asked about. The caterpillar is a fully grown larva of Chelepteryx collesi.  This was described by Gray of the British Museum in 1835 from "Australia" but probably from Sydney. It turns into a very large grey moth but while the caterpillars are very frequently seen the adult moths are rarely noticed.  It belongs in the Australian and New Guinean family Anthelidae with about 80 described species and probably more than that currently known but undescribed.  The common name of the moth is "white stemmed gum moth" but unlike bird names common names are for editors and moth people use the scientific name. 
The eggs are laid in late autumn in eucalypt trees and the egg then has a diapause until about August when it hatches and the young larva starts to feed in eucalypt leaves maturing in the new year. At maturity the larva wanders to seek a place to pupate, sometimes under loose bark, sometimes under the base of branches of the tree and often under eaves of nearby houses or in or under letterboxes. The stout spines are worked through the silk cocoon by the larva so the cocoon is covered in the protective larval spines. These spines can cause skin irritation if the larvae or cocoons are handled carelessly, but unlike the spines of some caterpillars most of the irritation seems to be from mechanical effects rather than proteins on the spines causing an allergic reaction. However the spines have the capacity to cause an allergic reaction and Canberra Hospital has several records of anaphylactic shock in sensitive people. The adult moths emerge in abou!
 t April.
The moth is widespread in eastern Australia from central Qld to most of Victoria. For further info see Common, IFB. 1990. Moths of Australia. Melbourne University Press.  Herbison Evans web site should be used only with great caution.
Cheers,
Ted Edwards.
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