Garrha demotica (Meyrick, 1883)
(previously known as : Heliocausta demotica)
OECOPHORINAE, OECOPHORIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

(updated 8 February 2005)


This Caterpillar has been found in Sydney and Melbourne feeding on :

  • Gum Trees ( Eucalyptus, MYRTACEAE ),

    living between leaves joined with silk. If disturbed, it drops on a thread. It is green with dark red speckles, and a brown head capsule. The darkness of the head capsule appears to vary with age, sometimes dark, sometimes light. The Caterpillar grows to a length of about 1 cm.


    It produces a little pinkish brown moth, with a row of dark dots along the margin and three dark spots on each fore wing. The hind wings are cream with an orange tinge. It has a wingspan of about 1.5 cms.


    (Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

    The species is found from New South Wales to Tasmania.


    Further reading :

    Ian F.B. Common, Oecophorine Genera of Australia I:
    The Wingia Group (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae)

    Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Volume 3,
    CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 1994, p. 300


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