Almost birding ...Re: [canberrabirds [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

The bag belongs to caterpillars
of moths in the subfamily Thaumetopoeinae of the family Notodontidae.
 
The best idea is to leave them
well alone as the hairs on the larvae and the cast larval skins can cause
severe urtication in humans (skin rashes and itching).
 
The actual species involved on
Eucalypts in dry parts of southern Australia is a bit open to question.
The species Ochrogaster lunifer is very common throughout mainland Australia
where it has a variety of biologies. On the NSW coast it is always on Acacia
and the silk bag is at the base of the tree while on the Hay plains they
have aerial bags on the boree (Acacia pendula). The Eucalypt bags are much
less common and there are other species which might be involved. They tend
not to be reared very often because of the urtication problem. There are
classification problems with all the possible candidate moths. More information
may be found in the "Hairy Caterpillars and skin rashes" section
of "A Guide to Australian Moths" by Paul Zborowski and Ted Edwards,
2007, CSIRO Publishing.
 
Ted Edwards
 
CSIRO Entomology

"Bob Carr" <>

19/02/2008 03:06 PM

To	<>
cc
Subject	[canberrabirds] Almost birding ...

We were birding when the sac, photo below, was discovered.
  
Possibly an insect/caterpillar sac, approximately 300 + mm in length, was
located at Rawlings Park Bush Reserve, Wagga Wagga hanging beneath the
outer canopy of a Eucalyptus spp. approx. 15 metres from the ground.  
The sac contains what appears to be a largish round ball, dark in colour.
  Woven into the sac are leaves and twigs. 
  
Identification would be appreciated. 
  
Bob Carr

"Bob Carr" <>

19/02/2008 03:06 PM

To	<>
cc
Subject	[canberrabirds] Almost birding ...

We were birding when the sac, photo below,
was discovered.
 
Possibly an insect/caterpillar sac, approximately
300 + mm in length, was located at Rawlings Park Bush Reserve, Wagga Wagga
hanging beneath the outer canopy of a Eucalyptus spp. approx. 15 metres
from the ground.   The sac contains what appears to be a largish round
ball, dark in colour.   Woven into the sac are leaves and twigs. 
 
Identification would be appreciated.
 
Bob Carr

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