Privet Hawk Moth - Psilogramma casuarinae
Family Sphingidae
This page contains information about Privet Hawk Moths that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia. This species often mistaken as P. menephron.
- Caterpillar length 80mm
- This Caterpillar is green in colour with a straight horn on its tail pointing backwards. There are a series of diagonal white stripes on both sides of its stout body.
- In Wishart bushland there are some Privet trees along the foot path. During early winter on one of the trees we found many of these caterpillars feeding. Because of their camouflage colours they were not easily noticed. When disturbed, the Caterpillar lifts the front of its body, and bends its head underneath.
- We brought two caterpillars home, try to raise them and see how the moth look like, but without success. Both caterpillars just stopped feeding and dead two days later. From Don's web site, the moth has long narrow wings which are a boring grey colour, with a darker grey wavy pattern.
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- The adult moth is grey in colour with dark brown pattern.
- The adult moth is grey in colour with dark brown pattern.
The host plant
- Small-leaved Privet
- Ligustrum sinense (OLEACEAE)
- Privet is considered as weed in Brisbane. The Small-leaved Privets are shrub=like trees about two meters tall. They are common along Bulimba Creek in Wishart and Mansfield area.
- Reference:
- 1. Wildlife of Tropical North Queensland - Queensland Museum Publications 2000, p124.
- 2. Psilogramma casuarinae Walker, 1856 - by Don Herbison-Evans & Stella Crossley, 2008.
- 3. Ligustrum sinense (OLEACEAE) Small-leaved privet - Save Our Waterways Now, 2008.
- 4. Moths of Australia - I. F. B. Common, Melbourne University Press, 1990, p411, plate 29.1, fig 41.3 (Psilogramma menephron).
