Hyalarcta huebneri

Hyalarcta huebneri (Westwood, 1855)
(one synonym : Psyche nuda)
Leaf Case Moth
PSYCHIDAE

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

(updated 23 August 2004)

These Caterpillars live in a silken case, to which they attach bits of leaf and/or twigs to cover it completely. One was given coloured strips of aluminium foil in its enclosure, and it seemed quite willing to attach those to its case too.

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

The Caterpillars seem to feed on the leaves of nearly any plant. They have been found on plants from such families as:

SANTALACEAE,

MYRTACEAE,

FABACEAE,

GERANIACEAE,

RUBIACEAE,

ASTERACEAE, and

PINOPHYTINA.

The case can grow to a length of up to 5 cms.

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

Only the head and thorax have a protective chitinous skin. The Caterpillar keeps its unprotected abdomen permanently in its case.

The Caterpillar pupates inside its case. When a male adult is ready to emerge, he pushes the pupa out of the back end of the case. When a female is ready to emerge, she does so inside the case.

Adult female
(Photo: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The adult female is wingless, and stays within her case. Her emergence from her pupa is however signalled by the extrusion of a large amount of fluffy silk from the case. She looks like a bag of eggs, with a vestigial head and some tiny legs on one end. She has a length of about 1 cm.

The male has wings that are transparent, and has a long, tapering, black body. He has a wingspan of about 2 cms.

Adult male
(Specimen: courtesy of the The Australian Museum)

The species is found over most of mainland Australia.