Alice Springs Desert Park
ASDP Butterflies & MothsBanksia Moth – Caterpillar Caper White Butterfly Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus ssp sthenelus) Day Flying Moth / Mistletoe Moth Heliotrope Moth (Utetheisa pulchelloides) Noctuinae (Caterpillar) Processionary Caterpillar
The Processionary Caterpillar (Ochrogaster lunifer), is also commonly known as the Itchy Grub and is best avoided, as their hairs can cause particular allergic reactions.
A fact of nature
At certain times of the year, visitors to the Alice Springs Desert Park may notice the processionary caterpillars. These caterpillars travel in long lines from head to tail, that contain up to several hundred individuals. They follow a silk trail left by the lead caterpillar and their large silky shelters can be seen hanging in mulga trees. The adult moth is commonly referred to as the bag-shelter moth (Ochrogaster lunifer), living only a few days, just long enough to breed and lay its eggs.
Images © Ausemade PL
More information can be found:
- Bag-shelter Moth (Ochrogaster lunifer) — Fauna > Insects > Moths
- Processionary Caterpillar — Fauna > Insects > Moths
- Bag-shelter Moth & Processionary Caterpillar — Alice Springs Fauna
- Processionary Caterpillar — Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Notodontidae
- Subfamily: Thaumetopoeinae
- Genus: Ochrogaster
- Species: Ochrogaster lunifer
Footnote & References
- Itchy caterpillars, Bag shelter moth, Northern Territory Government of Australia, https://nt.gov.au/wellbeing/emergencies-injuries-and-accidents/bites-and-stings/itchy-caterpillars/bag-shelter-moth
ASDP Butterflies & MothsBanksia Moth – Caterpillar Caper White Butterfly Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus ssp sthenelus) Day Flying Moth / Mistletoe Moth Heliotrope Moth (Utetheisa pulchelloides) Noctuinae (Caterpillar) Processionary Caterpillar
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