Caterpillar on Allocasuarina
Workbook
Life History studies: raising caterpillars
Collected at home, feeding on Allocasuarina
Parasitised by braconid moth Cotesia wonboynensis - see blog - so could not raise to adult.
Common (1990) lists a number of larvae that feed on casuarina. Only four of those species belong to families known to have hairy larvae; Epicoma contristis, Pernattia pusilla, Porela galactodes and Porela vitunila. I have only been able to find images of larvae of Epicoma contristis and Pernattia pusilla and both of these differ from our caterpillar.
Anthela connexa is similar in appearance, although I haven’t been able to find very good images of the larvae of this species. Luka is rearing 3 larvae, which we collected from the same Allocasuarina bush just a couple of weeks later, through to adulthood.
14/2/19 - feeding well on Allocasuarina (and not showing any interest in available Eucalyptus leaves)
16/2/19 … still feeding well on Allocasurina
16/2/19
7/3/19 restless, wandering tank, now resting on floor of tank
Larva of Anthela connexa from Moths of Victoria Part 1.
This is a workbook page … a part of our website where we record the observations and references used in making species identifications. The notes will not necessarily be complete. They are a record for our own use, but we are happy to share this information with others.