Syntherata leonae Lane, 2003
SATURNIIDAE
Don Herbison-Evans (
donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley
(updated 1 July 2007)
This Caterpillar starts of as one of a row of eggs.
The eggs are white and ovate, and have a diameter of about 1.5 mm.
The young Caterpillars are yellow with a black line along each side,
a black head and tail, and are covered in stiff hairs.
Later they become olive green with pink-tipped tubercles
each of which has a cluster of short stiff hairs.
They have been found feeding on the leaves of various trees,
including :
Celery Wood ( Polyscias elegans,
ARALIACEAE ),
Camphor Laurel ( Cinnamomum camphora,
LAURACEAE ),
Dendrophthoe species (
LORANTHACEAE ),
Red Penda ( Xanthostemon whitei,
MYRTACEAE ),
Brown Silky Oak ( Darlingia darlingiana,
PROTEACEAE ),
Tulo ( Alphitonia philippinensis,
RHAMNACEAE ), and
Crows Ash ( Flindersia australis,
RUTACEAE ).
The Caterpillar pupates in an oval cocoon on the food plant
or nearby vegetation.
There is a considerable variation in the coloration of
adults of this species.
The basic adult moth is yellow with
two zig-zag brown or pink lines across each wing.
The forewings each have a transparent spot in the middle.
There is also wine-red variety.
The male has recurved wingtips to the forewings,
whereas the females have rounded forewing tips.
The moth typically has a wingspan of 10 cms.
The species occurs on the Atherton Tableland, Queensland.
The species is heavily parasitised by wasps and flies.
