Unlike the adult female, who have no wings and remain in the larval case, it is the adult male of the species Metura elongatus moth that have black wings, an orange hairy head and a black and orange banded abdomen. The wingspan is about 30 mm.

Adult male Saunders' Case Moth (Metura elongatus), Canterbury-Bankstown, NSW © Malte Marquarding
Adult male Saunders’ Case Moth (Metura elongatus), Canterbury-Bankstown, NSW © Malte Marquarding

The adult male Metura elongatus picture here is on a Austromyrtus dulcis plant that is native to eastern Australia.

Adult male Saunders' Case Moth (Metura elongatus), Canterbury-Bankstown, NSW © Malte Marquarding
Adult male Saunders’ Case Moth (Metura elongatus), Canterbury-Bankstown, NSW © Malte Marquarding
Adult male Saunders' Case Moth (Metura elongatus), Canterbury-Bankstown, NSW © Malte Marquarding
Adult male Saunders’ Case Moth (Metura elongatus), Canterbury-Bankstown, NSW © Malte Marquarding
  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Informal: Pterygotes
  • Order: Lepidoptera
  • Family: Psychidae
  • Subfamily: Oiketicinae
  • Genus: Metura
  • Species: Metura elongatus

Footnote & References

  1. Saunders’ Case Moth (Metura elongatus), Photographs © Malte Marquarding
  2. Amateur Entomology Australia Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/476897096018877/
  3. Metura elongatus (Saunders, 1847), Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:07c53617-7d4b-4256-9c96-f6f84d64afcd
  4. Saunder’s Case Moth (Metura elongatus), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/430414-Metura-elongatus
  5. Metura elongatus (Saunders, 1847), Saunders’ Case Moth, Coffs Harbour Butterfly House, http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/psyc/elongatus.html
  6. Saunders’ case moth, Metura elongatus, Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/animals/insects/case-moths/
  7. Metura elongatus, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metura_elongatus

MothsMoths Index Aedia arctipennis Agrius convolvuli (Convolvulus Hawk Moth) Anthela guenei (Four-Spot Anthelid Moth) Austrocaligula engaea (Mistletoe Emperor Moth) Case Moths (Variety of Cocoons) Coenotes eremophilae Comocrus behri (Mistletoe Moth) Cosmodes elegans (Green-blotched Moth) Donuca spectabilis (White-spotted Owl-Moth) Endoxyla cinereus (Carpenter Moth) Four-spotted Cup Moth (Doratifera quadriguttata) Hyles livornicoides (Australian Striped Hawk Moth) Leaf Case Moth Metura elongatus (Saunders’ Case Moth) Ochrogaster lunifer (Bag-shelter Moth) Opodiphthera eucalypti (Emperor Gum Moth) Plume Moth Ribbed Case Moth Sameodes cancellalis Utetheisa (Rattlepod Moth)