Tussock Moths - Family Lymantriidae
This page contains pictures and information about Tussock Caterpillars and Moths that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- Tussock Moth Caterpillar
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.
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. Some species adults
rest with wings flattened forming a triangle and the fore legs extended forward.
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, White spotted Tussock Moth
- Orgyia australis, Caterpillar length 30mm, male moth wingspan 25mm
- We found this Painted Pine Moth Caterpillar feeding on Camellia flower on late Spring. They also feed on Wattle leaf. Some of their females are wingless. More information please click here.
- White Tussock Moth
- Euproctis melanosoma, 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.
Unidentified Tussock Caterpillars
- Followings are Tussock caterpillars that yet to be identified. Please advise if you known what are they.
- Tussock Moth Caterpillar
- ?sp., 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
- ?sp., 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
- ?sp., 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
- ?sp., length 30mm
- Tussock Moth Caterpillar on Banksia
- ?sp., length 30mm
- The caterpillar was found hiding on the bottom side of a Banksia leaf. It was in Karawatha Forest in mid summer.
- Unknown Tussock Moth
-
- ?sp., length 30mm
- We found this caterpillar on a garden plant of a front yard. We collected the caterpillar and some leaves as its food. A few days later it pupated on the food plant leaves. A few weeks later, it turned into a dark brown moth.
- The caterpillar looked like a Tussock Moth caterpillar although after it turned into an adult it did not look like a Tussock Moth. The moth have the large compound eyes.
