Aenetus ligniveren

Aenetus ligniveren (Lewin, 1805)
(erroneously: Charaga lignivorus)
HEPIALIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

Aenetus ligniveren
Male
(Photo: courtesy of Pam Jackson, Hesket,Victoria)

The eggs of this species are laid on the bark of a foodplant. The young Caterpillars when they hatch, bore horizontally into the the stem and then downwards to make a vertical tunnel in which they live. They cover the opening with a mess of silk and wood fragments. The Caterpillars are pale yellow with a dark brown head. They emerge at night to feed on bark, and have been recorded attacking various species in the genera :

Acmena,

Bottlebrush ( Callistemon ),

Gum Trees ( Eucalyptus ),

Tea Trees ( Leptospermum ),

Lophostemon, and

Paperbarks ( Melaleuca ),

all of MYRTACEAE, as well as :

Olearia ( ASTERACEAE ),

Prostanthera ( LAMIACEAE ),

Wattle ( Acacia, MIMOSACEAE ),

Pomaderris ( RHAMNACEAE ),

Apple ( Malus pumila, ROSACEAE ),

Dodonaea ( SAPINDACEAE ), and

Elm ( Ulmus, ULMACEAE ).

They pupate in their tunnel near the opening, with the head uppermost. The adult moths emerge in early summer.

Male
(Picture: by E.H. Zeck,
from "Forest Insects of Australia" by W.W. Froggatt,
Forestry Commission of New South Wales, 1923)

The male adult moth has green forewings, with a series of white diagonal stripes across each one. The hindwings are a shiny pale grey colour. He has a wingspan of about 5 cms.

Female
(Photo: courtesy of Sean Cleal, Sydney)

The female adult moths differ from the males. The females are larger and have brown wings, with variable green patches on the forewings. They have a wingspan of about 7 cms.

Female
(Picture: by E.H. Zeck,
from "Forest Insects of Australia" by W.W. Froggatt,
Forestry Commission of New South Wales, 1923)

The species occurs in:

New South Wales,

Queensland,

South Australia,

Tasmania,

Victoria, and

Western Australia.