Philarista porphyrinella (Walker, 1864)
(one synonym :
Brunia intersecta)
XYLORYCTIDAE
Don Herbison-Evans (
donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley
(updated 26 July 2006)
The Caterpillar of this species bores into the stems of :
Native Cherry ( Exocarpus cupressiformis,
SANTALACEAE ),
feeding on the wood and the bark.
It covers the entrance hole with silk and frass.
(Specimen: courtesy of the
Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)
The adult moth has white forewings,
each with a broad dark brown stripe and margin.
The hindwings are pale yellow with
a dark mark at the upper margin.
The moth has a wingspan of about 4 cms.
The species is found in
Queensland and
New South Wales.
Further reading :
Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia,
Melbourne University Press, 1990, pl. 6.6, p. 229.
