Opodiphthera carnea
(Sonthonnax, 1899) (? Antheraea)

Opodiphthera carnea male, from CSIRO

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Saturniinae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Tribe: Saturniini, Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Genus: Opodiphthera Wallengren, 1858

MIDI MUSIC "Waltzing Matilda" ON.OFF <bgsound src="Waltzing_Matilda_(guitar_style).mid" LOOP=FOREVER>

DISTRIBUTION:

Opodiphthera carnea, formerly Antheraea simplex, (wingspan: males: 111mm; females: probalby larger) flies in the Northern Territory of
Australia.

This moth may have been synonymized with one of the other Opodiphthera species.

Opodiphthera carnea male, 111mm,
courtesy of Bjorn Fjellstad

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in March.

Larvae possibly feed on Red Ash (Alphitonia excelsa) , Black Wattle (Callicoma serratifolia), Crows Ash (Flindersia australis), Cudgerie (Flindersia schottiana), and Leopardwood (Flindersia maculosa).

Opodiphthera carnea female, from CSIRO

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

The females extend a scent gland from the posterior tip of the abdomen to call in the yellow, night-flying males.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Larvae usually pupate in a tough oval cocoon affixed to plants growing below the host.

Larval Food Plants

Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants listed in Stephen E. Stone's Foodplants of World Saturniidae. It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Alphitonia excelsa Callicoma serratifolia...... Flindersia australis Flindersia schottiana Flindersia maculosa

Red Ash Black Wattle Crows Ash Cudgerie Leopardwood

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