grey Epicurica laetiferanus
 
Epicurica laetiferanus (Walker, 1863)
 (previously known as Lophoderus laetiferana)
WINGIA GROUP,   OECOPHORINAE,   OECOPHORIDAE,   GELECHIOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans,
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Epicurica laetiferanus
(Photo: courtesy of Nick Monaghan

The Caterpillars of this species feed on Broadleaf Wattles (MIMOSACEAE), such as:

  • Sydney Wattle ( Acacia longifolia ).

    The caterpillars construct a shelter out of phyllodes joined by silk. The caterpillars pupate in their shelter.

    Epicurica laetiferanus
    (Photo: courtesy of Ian McMillan, Imbil, Queensland)

    This adult moth has brown to dark brown forewings, each with a large grey or orange patch. The hindwings and abdomen are yellow. The wingspan is about 2 cms.

    Epicurica laetiferanus
    (Photo: courtesy of CSIRO/BIO Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph)

    The species has been found in:

  • Queensland,
  • New South Wales, and
  • Victoria.

    Further reading :

    Ian F.B. Common,
    Moths of Australia,
    Melbourne University Press, 1990, pl. 4.16, p. 222.

    Ian F.B. Common,
    Oecophorine Genera of Australia I: The Wingia Group (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae),
    Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Volume 3,
    CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 1994, pp. 199, 200-203.

    Francis Walker,
    Catalogue of Lepidoptera Heterocera,
    List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum,
    Part 28 (1863), p. 336.

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    (updated 1 November 2012, 1 October 2018, 26 July 2019, 8 November 2020)