Emperor Gum Moth Caterpillar

Description:

Length approx.50mm

Habitat:

Found on a Eucalypt sappling

Notes:

This Caterpillar starts off life as one of a row or cluster of a dozen yellowish eggs laid on a leaf of a food plant. The early instars are dark brown, with two orange spots by the head and two yellow spots by the tail. These develop in later instars into tubercles, when the first three abdominal segments develop a conspicuous orange and yellow dorsal pattern. As the Caterpillar grows, it becomes bright green and looks quite different. Each segment develops six tubercles with spiky yellow hairs on their tips, and the tubercles themselves are various colours. Most are yellow, but some are red, and by the head, some are purple. A yellow line runs along each side of the body, and this mimics the mid-rib of a leaf. If disturbed, the caterpillar lifts the front of its body and curls the head underneath it. It feeds in daylight, and is usually upside down. Its camouflage depends on light falling on it from the right direction, as it is paler on top than underneath. If turned up the right way, it is much more conspicuous. It grows to a length of about 6 cms. The Caterpillar pupates in a hard cocoon attached to the trunk of its food tree. Inside the cocoon is a brown pupa. The resting period of the pupa has been found to vary between three weeks and a year. When the moth inside the pupa is fully developed, in order to emerge from its cocoon it first scratches at one end to weaken the wall. Then using a pair of sharp hooks just behind its head, it moves round and round inside until it cuts a hole in the end of the cocoon. It then forces its way through this hole, and immediately climbs to a position where it can hang upside down to expand its wings.