Tussock Moths - Family Lymantriidae
The LYMANTRIIDAE Caterpillars are usually hairy, often with four distinct tussocks of hair on their back make them look like a toothbrush. The hair can cause irritation if contact. The Caterpillars pupate in a woven cocoon under bark or foliage. The pupa usually covered with larval hairs as well. These hairs can cause problems if touched, or if they are released to blow about.
- Tussock Moth Caterpillar
Moths in this family are small to medium size with hairy body. They are short lived, mouth parts are poorly developed and do not feed. They held
their board wings like roots over their abdomen at rest. They usually active at
night. In some species the females are wingless.
- Brown Tussock Moth
- Olene mendosa, caterpillar length 40mm, moth wingspan 30mm
- The Brown Tussock Moth caterpillar is hairy, with four tussocks of hair on its back make it look like a toothbrush. We found this Brown Tussock Moth caterpillar in early spring. We took it home to see how it will look like when it becomes a moth. We found the caterpillar on a plants. We bring along with some leaves as its food. To see how it became a moth please click on here.
- Painted Pine Moth
- Orgyia australis, Caterpillar length 30mm, moth wingspan 25mm
- We found this Painted Pine Moth Caterpillar feeding on Camellia flower on late Spring. More information please click here.
- White Tussock Moth
- Caterpillar length 20mm Adult wingspan 20mm
- The caterpillar was found on bauhinia leaf in a front yard in Yeerongpilly during mid summer. It was black in colour with black and orange hairs. There are a red dot and some white hairs on its thorax. Two days later it pupate between leaves. About two weeks later a little white hairy moth came out from the pupa. More information and pictures please click here.
- Yellow Tussock Moth
- Euproctis lutea, body length 25mm
- We often see this moth in rests on leaf in our backyard. The moth is hairy and light yellow in colour with white lines on wings. The hairy caterpillar is black with a white line along the back of the abdomen. There is also a white spot on its thorax.
- Tussock Moth Caterpillar
- Length 35mm
- We took this picture in South Bank along the Brisbane river near the City. The caterpillar was wandering on a wooden handle on road side. The caterpillar is orange brown in colour with dense hair. There are four tussocks of golden hair on its back, two tufts of black hair from its head and a tuft of brown hair as its tail.
- Black Tussock Moth Caterpillar
- Caterpillar length 20mm
- We found this black Tussock Moths caterpillar on a Citrus tree on Nov 2002 in Botanic Garden. We tried to raise it but did not success.
- Red Tussock Moth Caterpillar
- Length 40mm.
- This caterpillar was found in Macgregor bushland. Its body is orange brown in colour and has the four distinctive tussocks of hair on its back.
- Tussock Moth Caterpillar
- Length 30mm.
