Euproctis baliolalis
Encyclopedia
The Browntail Gum Moth (Euproctis baliolalis) is a moth
of the Lymantriidae
family. It is found in the south-east quarter of Australia
.
The wingspan
is about 50 mm. Adults are hairy and brown, with a broad white band along the terminal area of each wing and a dark brown body.
The larvae
feed on the foliage of Eucalyptus
species. They are initially gregarious and feed only on the surface layer of leaves of their food plant. The hairs can cause skin irritation (urticaria) if the caterpillar is handled, particularly just prior to pupation. Pupation takes place between Gum leaves in a woven cocoon
under the bark
.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Lymantriidae
Lymantriidae
Lymantriidae is a family of moths. Many of its component species are referred to as "Tussock moths" of one sort or another. The caterpillar, or larval, stage of these species often has a distinctive appearance of alternating bristles and haired projections...
family. It is found in the south-east quarter of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is about 50 mm. Adults are hairy and brown, with a broad white band along the terminal area of each wing and a dark brown body.
The larvae
Larvae
In Roman mythology, lemures were shades or spirits of the restless or malignant dead, and are probably cognate with an extended sense of larvae as disturbing or frightening...
feed on the foliage of Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
species. They are initially gregarious and feed only on the surface layer of leaves of their food plant. The hairs can cause skin irritation (urticaria) if the caterpillar is handled, particularly just prior to pupation. Pupation takes place between Gum leaves in a woven cocoon
Cocoon
Cocoon may refer to:*Cocoon , a pupal casing made by moth caterpillars and other insect larvae*Apache Cocoon, web development software*Cocoon , a 1985 science fiction film**Cocoon: The Return, 1988 sequel to Cocoon...
under the bark
Bark
Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...
.