DISTRIBUTION: Opodiphthera eucalypti, the Emperor Gum Moth, formerly Antheraea eucalypti, flies over most of mainland Australia. It is reported from the Northern Territory, north-eastern Queensland from Mareeba to Paluma and southern Queensland to Victoria. Martin Jagelka reports it from New Zealand. To the right, its caterpillar is celebrated on an Australian postage stamp.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens have been taken in January, March, October and December and possibly in other months.

Larvae feed on various species of Gum Trees: Water Gum (Tristaniopsis laurina), Brush Box (Lophostemon confertus), and also accepts Pepper Tree (Schinus molle) and Silver Birch (Betula pendula).

Opodiphthera eucalypti female

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Females extend a scent gland from the posterior tip of the abdomen to call in the night-flying males.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Yellowish eggs are deposited in clusters of ten to twelve on host plant foliage. The early instars are dark brown, with two orange spots by the head and two yellow spots by the tail. Images courtesy of Australian Moth Caterpillars

The Caterpillar, which matures at 6 cm, becomes bright green in later instars.

Each body segment develops six tubercles spiked with yellow hairs, and the tubercles themslves are various colours: yellow, red, and by the head, purple. A yellow line runs along each side of the body, mimicking the mid-rib of a leaf.

Pupation is in an internally hardened cocoon attached to the trunk of the food tree. When multiple broods occur, the moths eclose within three weeks of spinup; otherwise moths eclose the following year.

Larva copyright Kirby Wolfe

Larval Food Plants

Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants listed in Stephen E. Stone's Foodplants of World Saturniidae and/or from The Natural History Museum's HOSTS - The Hostplants and Caterpillars Database. 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.

Betula pendula Eucalyptus species: Eucalyptus blakelyi Eucalyptus botryoides Eucalyptus bridgesiana Eucalyptus cinerea Eucalyptus eugenioides Eucalyptus fastigata Eucalyptus globulus Eucalyptus gunnii Eucalyptus leucoxylon Eucalyptus macarthurii Eucalyptus macrorhyncha Eucalyptus maculosa Eucalyptus maidenii Eucalyptus melliodora Eucalyptus nitens Eucalyptus obliqua Eucalyptus paniculata Eucalyptus pauciflora Eucalyptus regnans Eucalyptus saligna Eucalyptus viminalis Geijera salicifolia Liquidambar Lophostemon confertus....... Olea paniculata Pinus radiata Podocarpus spinulosus Populus Schinus molle Tristaniopsis laurina

Silver Birch Eucalyptus species: Blakely's Red gum Southern Mahogany Gum Apple box/Apple Gum Silver Dollar Gum Thin-leaf stringybark Brown Barrel/Cut-tail Southern Blue Gum Cider gum Red-flowered Yellow Gum Camden Woollybutt/Paddy's River Box Red Stringybark Eucalyptus maculosa Maiden's Gum Yellow box Shining Gum Messmate Stringybark/Messmate Grey Ironbark Snow Gum Mountain Ash Sydney Blue Gum/Blue Gum Manna Gum Glasswood Sweetgum Brush Box Olive Monterey Pine Podocarpus spinulosus Poplar Pepper Tree Water Gum

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