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- This page contains pictures and information about Tussock Caterpillars and
Moths that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
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 - Tussock Moth Caterpillar
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- The LYMANTRIIDAE Caterpillars are usually hairy, often with four distinct
tussocks of hair on their back make them look like a toothbrush. The hair can cause
irritation if contact. They usually found feeding on leaves during the day. The caterpillars pupate in a woven cocoon under bark or foliage.
The pupa usually covered with larval hairs as well.
These hairs can cause problems if touched, or if they are released to blow
about.
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  - Wingless female, body length 20mm
Winged male with typical Tussock Moth antenna
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- Moths in this family are small to medium size with hairy body. They are short lived, mouth parts are poorly developed and do not
feed at all. They held
their board wings like roots over their abdomen at rest. Some species adults
rest with wings flattened forming a triangle and the fore legs extended forward.
The male moth antenna broadly pectinate and curved. They usually active at
night. In some species the females are wingless.
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- Brown Tussock Moth
 - Olene mendosa, caterpillar length 40mm, moth wingspan 30mm
- The Brown Tussock Moth caterpillar is hairy, with four
tussocks of hair on its back make it look like a toothbrush. We found this Brown Tussock
Moth caterpillar in early spring. We took it home to see how it would look like
when it became a moth. We found the caterpillar on a plants. We brought along
with some leaves as its food. To see the details please click on here.
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- Painted Pine Moth, White spotted Tussock Moth
 - Orgyia australis, Caterpillar length 30mm, male moth wingspan 25mm
- We found this Painted Pine Moth Caterpillar feeding on Camellia flower on
late Spring. They also feed on Wattle leaf. Some of their females are
wingless. More information please click here.
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- White Tussock Moth
  - Euproctis melanosoma, caterpillar length 20mm
Adult wingspan 20mm
- The caterpillar was found on bauhinia leaf in a front yard in
Yeerongpilly during mid summer. It was black in colour with black and orange
hairs. There are a red dot and some white hairs on its thorax. Two days later
it pupate between leaves. About two weeks later a little white hairy moth came
out from the pupa. More information and pictures please click here.
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- Yellow Tussock Moth
  - Euproctis lutea, body length 25mm
- We often see this moth resting on leaf in our backyard. The moth is hairy
and bright yellow in colour with white wavy lines on wings. The hairy caterpillar is
black with a white line along the back of the abdomen. There is also a white
spot on its thorax. Check this page for
details.
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Unidentified Tussock Caterpillars
- Followings are Tussock caterpillars that yet to be identified. Please advise
if you known what are they.
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- Unknown Black Tussock Moth Caterpillar 1
 - ?sp., length 20mm
- We found this black Tussock Moths caterpillar on a Citrus tree on Nov 2002
in Botanic Garden. We tried to raise it but did not success.
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- Unknown Tussock Moth Caterpillar 2
 - ?sp., length 30mm
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- Unknown Tussock Moth Caterpillar 3 on Banksia
 - ?sp., length 30mm
- The caterpillar was found hiding on the bottom side of a Banksia leaf. It
was in Karawatha Forest in mid summer.
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- Unknown Tussock Moth Caterpillar 4
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- ?sp., length 30mm
- We found this caterpillar on a garden plant of a front yard. We collected
the caterpillar and some leaves as its food. A few days later it pupated on
the food plant leaves. However, the moth never came out . . . . . . .
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- Unknown Tussock Moth Caterpillar 5 found on Acacia flower
 - ?sp., length 30mm
- Pictures taken in Karawatha Forest on Jul 2007.
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- Unknown Tussock Moth Caterpillar 6 found on gum tree trunk
 - Nov 2007, Karawatha Forest
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- Unknown Tussock Moth Caterpillar 7 found on gum tree trunk
 - Nov 2008, Karawatha Forest
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- Unknown Tussock Moth Caterpillar 8
 - Mar 2008, Mt Coot-tha
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- Reference:
- 1. LYMANTRIIDAE
of Australia - Don Herbison-Evans & Stella Crossley, 2008.
- 2. Moths
of Australia - I. F. B. Common, Melbourne University Press,
1990, p425.
- 3. Moths
of Australia - Bernard D'Abrera, Lansdowne Press, Melbourne, 1974,
p71.
- 4. A
Guide to Australian Moths - Paul Zborowski, Ted Edwards, CSIRO
PUBLISHING, 2007, p178.
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[ Up ] [ Brown Tussock Moth ] [ Red Tussock Moth ] [ White Tussock Moth ] [ Yellow Tussock Moth ]
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