Fwd: caterpillars: a summary [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

["martin butterfield" <>]

The message forwarded to me by Muriel contains some additional information about the Apina caterpillars.  I have downsized the image referred to in the message, which was taken by Vivien Pinder.

Martin

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <m("ipaustralia.gov.au","Muriel.Edwards");"> >
Date: Sep 7, 2007 9:47 AM
Subject: caterpillars: a summary [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]
To:

Subject: Fw: cog caterpillars [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]
Martin, 

By way of summary I'm forwarding a message about the Apina callisto caterpillar we're seeing and whose habits Rosemary has described so beautifully.

There is also info on another caterpillar we may find in numbers in our grasslands in Spring.

Muriel   
 

m("csiro.au","Ted.Edwards");" target="_blank"> >

Dear COGs,
 
This Spring there have been numerous people interested in the caterpillars so prevalent in native grasslands and disturbed areas.
 
They are the larvae of Apina callisto, sometimes called a pasture day moth, and belong in the family Noctuidae and the subfamily Agaristinae.
 
The larvae feed over winter on herbaceous plants (daisies, cape weed and the like) in the grasslands becoming large and noticeable in September when they will dig into the soil to pupate. They remain as a pupa in the soil over the summer and the adult moths emerge about the first week of April. The adult moths are day flying and fly rapidly over the grasslands in full sunshine. The females lay their eggs on bare soil, rubbing each egg into the soil and coating it with dust.
 
The large numbers this Spring are possibly partially the result of the rains of late February producing some green feed for the larvae when they hatched.
 
The moth is found very widely across southern Australia in semi-arid areas with Canberra close to about the eastern limit of its range.
 
Pictures of adult moths may be viewed on www.ento.csiro.au/gallery/moths/Apinacallisto or go to www.ento.csiro.au/gallery/moths  and select Noctuidae and then Agaristinae.
 
There are two grassland species with larvae which can occur in large numbers in Spring, the other is Pterolocera sp. in the family Anthelidae which feeds as a larva on grass but is only found in relatively undisturbed native grasslands dominated by Austrodanthonia or/and Austrostipa. It is not in Kangaroo-grass grasslands. This has a very hairy larva and is probably not the one most COG members are seeing.
 
Attached is a photo recently sent to me of the larva of Apina callisto to compare with those you remember seeing.
 
Cheers,
 
 
Ted Edwards
 
CSIRO Entomology
 
 

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"martin butterfield" <m("gmail.com","martinflab");" target="_blank"> >

06/09/2007 12:33 PM

To	Canberrabirds <m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");" target="_blank">>
cc
Subject	[canberrabirds] Pallid cuckoo food

Following my post last week about a pallid cuckoo feeding on caterpillars a few people commented on the type of caterillar involved.  This morning I came across some of them and was able to get a couple of images (see attached).  Hopefully they will enable a positive ID of the hairy beasts.   I would estimate they were closer to 5cm in length rather than 3cm.  I didn't actually see one emerge from the hole but it seems likely. 
  
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