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

(Photo: courtesy of
Alan Fletcher Research Station, Sherwood
Department of Natural Resources and Water, Queensland)
This species was introduced deliberately into Australia from Madagascar in 1992 in an attempt to control :
The Caterpillars are brown in colour with a row of orange dots along each side. They are tapered at both ends and grow to a length of about 3 cms. Their prescence is often indicated by their droppings hanging on threads from the food plant.

The adult moths have very long legs and antennae.

The forewings are brown, each with a pale stripe containing a black dot. The hindwings are silky white with a brown margin.

The eggs are white and rather flat. They are laid typically in overlapping masses of about 20 on the underside of a foodplant leaf.

Further reading :
Rachel E. Cruttwell McFadyen, Marie Vitelli & Catherine Setter,
Host specificity of the rubber vine moth, Euclasta whalleyi
Popescu-Gorj and Constantinescu (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Pyraustinae):
field host range compared to that predicted in laboratory tests,
Australian Journal of Entomology,
Volume 41, part 4 (2002), pp. 321-323.
J. Mo, M. Treviņo & W.A. Palmer,
Establishment and distribution of therubbervine moth,
Euclasta whalleyi Popescu-Gorj & Constantinescu (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)
following its release in Australia,
Australian Journal of Entomology,
Volume 39 (2000), pp. 344-350.
R.E. McFadyen & J.J. Marohasy
A leaf-feeding moth, Euclasta whalleyi
(Lep.:Pyralidae) for the biological control of
Cryptostegia grandiflora(Asclepiadaceae) in Queensland, Australia,
Entomophaga, Volume 35 (1990), pp. 431-435.
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(updated 15 March 2008)