Saturday 2 February 2008

THE CATERPILLAR PAGE

MOTHS:

To date, I haven't discovered any butterfly caterpillars.
(Thanks to Don Herbison-Evans for his help with identification
of these caterpillars.)

If anyone notices any errors in my identification, please feel free to
correct me. I'm quite new to this Lepidoptera stuff!



Oenochroma vinaria today (5/2/08)



I think this caterpillar might be Southern Old
Lady (Dasypodia selenophora)
This caterpillar was on top of a covered cage directly
beneath an Acacia melanoxylin (Blackwood.)



Although this moth (Oenochroma vinaria) is common,
I saw only one Grevillea Looper adult, after a thunderstorm
on the 3rd December, 2007.



Capusa senilis. Unfortunately, I was not able to watch this one
pupate as it was taken by a predator on the 21st October, 2007.






















































4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have altered the settings to allow comments to be made without the necessity of establishing an account, etc.

Junior Lepid

Gaye said...

hi Junior Lepid,

Finally, I have an identification for my looped caterpillar that I find on several grevileas in my garden, thanks to your blog.

I will now be able to look up what it turns into and be more able to find it's coocoon or crysalis that I have never been able to locate despite the caterpillars being in large numbers.....

.....Oenochroma vinaria, Grevillea Looper.

thank you
Regards
Gaye

Junior Lepid said...

You're welcome, Gaye!

Have a look under your bushes. the cocoon is a dark brown with blackish ends.

Normally, mine are in the caterpillar stage in April.

O. vinaria is quite a striking moth. It's also called the Pink-bellied moth.

I have a photo of one I took in 2006 and will put it up for you later.

Junior Lepid said...

I should add, the adults are active around August here.