Common Leaf Case Moth - Hyalarcta huebneri

Family Psychidae

This page contains information and pictures about Common Leaf Case Moths that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.


Case length 50mm, Mar 2008, Karawatha Forest

Leaf Case Moth is also known as Leaf Bagworm. The Caterpillars live in a silken case, to which they attach leaf or twigs to cover it. The Leaf Case Moth caterpillars seem to feed on the leaves of many different plant, hence, covered their bag with different plants materials.

The appearance of Leaf Case Moth's case can be extremely variable. However, the Leaf Case Moth bag can be distinguished from other case moth bags by they covered their bag COMPLETELY with plant materials, no silken case is exposed. Also their bag is broadest in the middle, tapering to each end.

Leaf Case Moths are common in Brisbane eucalyptus forest. They can be found on most kind of trees, including the Eucalyptus and Acacia. The female adult is wingless and never leave her case. The male is black in colour with transparent wings and dark antenna.

From the reference information, The caterpillar has 6 larval instars; the final instars in the male does not feed. Eggs hatch on late summer, they took a year to grow, pupate in the next summer season.



This case moth's bag found hanging on trees near Eight Mile Plains in Brisbane. The second picture shows the moth had gone and leave with an empty pupa. Our visitor sent us a email advise that there are also many similar moth's bag found in bushland near Manly, Brisbane.



Later we found this Leaf Case Moths are common in Brisbane eucalyptus forest.


Young Leaf Case Moth, 10mm length

As most other Case Moths, Leaf Case Moth Larvae are leaf miner in their early stage.




Bag length 20mm

This is a relatively small case moth bag. It was found on a gum tree trunk.


Bag length 40mm

This case moth bag was found hanging on a Acacia tree. It was empty, i.e., the larva had turn into an adult moth and leave this empty case.


Bag length 20mm
This case moth bag is still very small. The caterpillar is still mining the leaf surface instead of eating the whole leaf. In this family, more caterpillars are leaf-miners when they were young.

Reference:
1. Hyalarcta huebneri - Caterpillars of Australian Moths - Don Herbison-Evans & Stella Crossley, 2005.
2. Moths of Australia - I. F. B. Common, Melbourne University Press, 1990, p180, fig51.6.
3. REVISION OF THE AUSTRALIAN PSYCHIDAE - MEYRICK. E and LOWER O B. (1907).
4. LIFE HISTORY AND BIOLOGY OF THE LEAF BAGWORM, HYALARCTA HUEBNERI (WESTWOOD) (LEPIDOPTERA: PSYCHIDAE) - N. W. HEATHER, J.Aust.ent.SOC.,1975,14:353-361