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- This
page contains pictures and information about moths and caterpillars in family Anthelidae
that
we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia. The Anthelid Moths are found only in Australia and New Guinea. They are common in Brisbane.
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 - Hairy Mary Caterpillar
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- The Anthelid Caterpillars are from medium to very large in size.
They are very hairy. Those hairs may cause skin irritation if contact. The head is large and usually have the wearing sunglass look. The Caterpillars
usually feed at night but some are active on day time. When rest, they hiding
under barks or leaves. They usually feed on leaves of narrow range of host
plants. Those plants include Acacia and Eucalypt species.
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-
 
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- The Anthelidae
caterpillars are easy to rear. Just feed them with the
plants on which you find them, some may need a humid atmosphere when they become
mature and pupate. Next time when you find the caterpillars, keep them and see
what moths they will turn into.
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- The pupate in a woven cocoon, oval or elongated. The
cocoons are make of silk and often mixed with the caterpillars' hairs.
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- The Anthelid
adults are medium to very large size moths. They usually have furry body and
board wings. Head and thorax are covered with long hairs. The proboscis is absent and they do not feed. They are usually pale brown to orange brown in
colours. They do not have the produced beak-like labial palps. Males have
bipectinate antennae and never bent. Most Anthelidae moths fly at night.
Males come to light more often than females. When rest, they held their
board wings width open with antenna put under wings or in
front. Hindwings are about the same size and same patterns as fore-wings. Female adults are with very large body with eggs ready to lay when emerge
from cocoon.
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- There
are two subfamilies in Anthelidae, the Munychryiinae and Anthelinae. The
Munychryiinae is not common and all we listed in this page are in
subfamily Anthelinae.
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- Common Anthelid Moth
   - Anthela acuta, caterpillar
50mm
female wingspan
70mm
male wingspan 70mm
- In early summer 2003, we found a large woven cocoon, about 20x40mm,
attached among the leaves on a young gum tree. We took it home and put it in a
jar. About two weeks later, a moth came out as the above picture. We have
more information about this moth in this page.
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- Large Anthelid Moth
  - Anthela canescens, caterpillar
60mm
female wingspan 70mm
- We find this large hairy caterpillar on mid summer. We took it home
and kept it in a large jar. The caterpillar turned into a cocoon a few days
later. The moth came out in about three months. We have more details in this page.
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- Hairy Mary Caterpillar
  - Anthela varia 90mm
- The Hairy Mary Caterpillar is dark brown to black in colour, with long white hair.
Notice there are two row of creamy white spots on its body. The second
picture shows the caterpillar was feeding on gum tree leaf. Please check this page
for more information and pictures.
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- Eyespot Anthelid Moth
 - Anthela ocellata, female, body length 30mm
- Pictures taken on the wall outside our house. The caterpillar is brown in
colour, hairy with brown and black head. Please check this page
for more information.
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- Yellow-headed Anthelid
 - Nataxa flavescens, length 40mm
- The hairy caterpillar is slender, green and yellow, with two tufts of
black hair behind the reddish-brown head. A single tuft of black hair on the
tail. On the back there is the shorter black hair on each segment. This
caterpillar moves relatively fast. We found this caterpillar under bark on Oct 2006. Please check this page
for more information.
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- Rose Anthelid Caterpillar
  - Chenuala heliaspis, length 20mm, will
grow to 50mm, found on Acacia leaf in late summer.
- The caterpillar has yellow and red hair, with tuft of black hair on its
thorax. Head is surrounded with pink hair. Please check this page
for more infromation.
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- Wattle Moth Caterpillar
 - ? Chelepteryx sp., length 30mm
- Please check this page for more
information.
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Unknown Anthelid Caterpillars
- Followings are caterpillars that yet to be identified. We believe they are
in the Anthelidae family. Please advise
if you known what are they.
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- Unknown Anthelid Caterpillars
 - Anthelid Caterpillars, body length up to 90mm
 - The Anthelid Caterpillars are from medium to very large in size.
They are very hairy. Those hairs may cause skin irritation if contact. The head is large and usually have the wearing sunglass look. The Caterpillars
usually feed at night but some are active on day time. When rest, they hiding
under barks or leaves. Please check this page
to see those unknown Anthelid Caterpillars that we found.
Anthelid Cocoons
- Caterpillars pupate in a double-walled cocoon of silk, usually mixed with the caterpillars' hairs. Those cocoon are
often found on host trees, among leaves or under loose bark. They can also
be found under log or stone.
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Unknown Anthelid Cocoons
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- Please check this page
to see those unknown Anthelid Caterpillars that we found.
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- Reference:
- 1. ANTHELIDAE
of Australia - Australian
Caterpillars by Don Herbison-Evans & Stella Crossley, 2007
- 2. Flying Colours, Common Caterpillars, Butterflies and Moths of South-Eastern Australia - Pat & Mike Coupar,1992,
p25.
- 3. Insects of Australia and New Zealand - R. J. Tillyard, Angus
& Robertson, Ltd, Sydney, 1926, p438.
- 4. Insects
of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University
Press, 2nd Edition 1991, p 900.
- 5. A
Guide to Australian Moths - Paul Zborowski, Ted Edwards, CSIRO
PUBLISHING, 2007, p154.
- 6. Moths of Australia
- I. F. B. Common, Melbourne University Press, 1990, p391.
- 7. Northern
Territory Insects, A Comprehensive Guide CD - Graham Brown, 2009.
- 8. Moths of Victoria Part 1 - Silk Moths and Allies - BOMBYCOIDEA - Peter Marriott, Entomological Society of Victoria,
2008, p17.
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- [ Up ] [ Lasiocampidae ] [ Anthelidae ] [ Eupterotidae ] [ Sphingidae ] [ Unknown Moths and Caterpillars ]
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