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Endoxyla leucomochla?
The term witchetty grub is used mainly when the larvae are being considered as food - I was happy just to photograph him! About 2 inches long.
Found in a log when chopping wood.
I'm not 100% with the scientific name so if anyone has any other ideas please let me know.
Spotted on Nov 4, 2012
Submitted on Nov 17, 2012
4 Comments
Nice Rachael, and here's the adult moth...
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/163...
Congrats! This spotting has been featured as a PN Fact of the Day!
https://www.facebook.com/projectnoah/pos...
Project Noah Fact of the Day: Wood moths from the genus Endoxyla are some of the largest moth species in the world. The larvae of these moths (especially Endoxyla leucomochla) are the famous witchetty grubs that are eaten by the native aboriginals of Australia. The largest member of this genus is the giant wood moth Endoxyla cinereus. Females may have a wingspan of up to 23 cm and weigh a whopping 30g! Males generally only get bout half that size.
Good spotting Rachael. Sorry I can't help with scientific name - I'm surprised you got that far. Stir-fry or straight roasted with salt? :-)
Fun fact! The larvae of the cossid moth, known as witchetty grubs, are considered a delicacy among Aboriginal Australians. The raw grub is said to taste like almonds and when cooked the skin becomes crisp like roast chicken while the inside becomes light yellow, like a fried egg. Ten witchetty grubs are sufficient to provide the daily protein needs of a human! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=...