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Doratifera vulnerans
Fluffy, mottled grey brown moth with bronze, gold and chestnut wing markings. Distinct, smooth, pear shaped brown cocoon with darker brown cap and dark silk lines, affixed to tree twig.
Eucalyptus trees, specifically on twigs, posing as twigs.
This is the moth I raised indoors, from a caterpillar, and its cocoon. It stayed in the cocoon for eight months from mid Autumn (early April) to early Summer (early December). Its nest mates still on the tree emerged within a week of mine. It emerged during the day so I kept it aside for evening release but it didn't leave until the next morning. You can see its pupal skin left behind in the empty cocoon, with a clearly visible face. I put a disposable chopstick in its enclosure to affix to so this is what you see in the images.
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