Trichiocercus sparshalli

Trichiocercus sparshalli (Curtis, 1830)
(erroneously: Trichocercus sparshallii)
THAUMETOPOEINAE , NOTODONTIDAE

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

Trichiocercus sparshalli
(Photo: courtesy of Wendy Moore, Melbourne)

These Caterpillars are gregarious when young, sometimes following each other like a freight train. Later instars become solitary, resting on the leaves of the foodplant during the day. The Caterpillars vary from pale brown to black, with long pale lateral hairs, and a conspicuous set of red tufts along the back, one on each segment, although specimens have been with the tufts either yellow or grey. The head is pale brown.

(Photo: courtesy of Vicky Dawes, Bondi)

On the head: there is often a white tipped pencil of black hairs, although this is often not evident in dorsal views.

(Photo: courtesy of Laura Levens, Upper Beaconsfield, Victoria )

The Caterpillars feed on various species of MYRTACEAE, including :

Silver Leaved Stringy Bark ( Eucalyptus cinerea ),

White Ironbark ( Eucalyptus leucoxylon ),

Red Box ( Eucalyptus polyanthemos ), as well as

Brush Box ( Lophostemon confertus ).

(Photo: courtesy of John Birks, Martinsville, New South Wales )

The caterpillars grow to a length of about 4 cms. They pupate in a silk cocoon in ground debris.

(Photo from: "Flying Colours", Coupar & Coupar, 1992)

There is a range of wing colours of adult Trichiocercus sparshalli. Most are white, but specimens can be obtained from a light grey to a dark grey. Peter Marriott has reported seeing specimens from many places in Victoria from October to May, but there seems to be no time relationship between colour variations. Those from Mt. Martha on the Mornington Peninsula appear to be always white, but those from Ballarat and Kallista have the full range of colours. They all have a balding brown head having black hair. They have a wingspan of about 4 cms. The females have a large tuft of darker hair on the end of the abdomen, and narrower antennae.

female
(Photo: courtesy of Laura Levens, Upper Beaconsfield, Victoria)

The species is found over most of Australia, including

Northern Territory,

South Australia, and

female, underside
Trichiocercus sparshalli

(Photo: courtesy of Laura Levens, Upper Beaconsfield, Victoria)