PSYCHIDAE: Bagworm Moths ⁴

Cebysa leucotelus (Walker, 1854). Adventive.

Habitat, seasonality and behaviour ⁵

Adults are found in March and April in cities; parks and gardens, where the microclimate is warmer and drier. The flightless, metallic-looking female is often observed on the ground. The male flies actively in the sunshine in search of the female.

Life history ⁵

The larva constructs a soft brown oval silken case ornamented with small fragments of lichen. It feeds on lichens on rocks, walls and tree-trunks, retreating into the case when disturbed. Over the hottest months the larva retreats to a cool place and apparently does not feed, pupating in late summer in the case.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Chris Moody, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Chris Moody
2. (c) sea-kangaroo, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by sea-kangaroo
3. anonymous, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cebysa_leucotelus_(ento-csiro-au).jpg
4. Adapted by Tony Steer from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cebysa_leucotelus
5. (c) Tony Steer, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNaturalist NZ taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Atlas of Living Australia
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• CUIC Insect Images
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants

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