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.

7/3/19 restless, wandering tank, now resting on floor of tank

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.