Biology:Acyphas semiochrea

Short description: Species of moth

Acyphas semiochrea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Erebidae
Genus:	Acyphas
Species:	A. semiochrea
Binomial name
Acyphas semiochrea (Herrich-Schäffer, 1855)
Synonyms
Porthesia semiochrea Herrich-Schäffer, 1855 Euproctis leucomelas Walker & Westwood, 1855 Orgyia diemenii Herrich-Schäffer, 1858 Porthesia anacausta Meyrick, 1891 Porthesia hololeuca Meyrick, 1891 Leucoma alboanalis Strand, 1914

Acyphas semiochrea, the omnivorous tussock moth, is a moth of the subfamily Lymantriinae first described by Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer in 1855. It is found along most of the coast of Australia, including: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.

The wingspan is about 30 mm. Adult females are white and have an orange tuft on the tail. Males are also white but sometimes have a dark mark at the tornus of each forewing or a broad dark band along the margin of each forewing. The hairs around the thorax are sometimes yellowish. Sometimes the black skin of the thorax and/or abdomen shows through between the white hairs.

It is considered a pest on Pinus radiata, but has also been recorded feeding on Acacia, Eucalyptus, Pultenaea, Dodonaea, Choretrum, Myoporum and Tamarix. The caterpillars are brown and hairy, with a pencil of black hairs each side of its head and a hairy tail.

References

• "Species Acyphas semiochrea (Herrich-Schäffer, 1855)". Australian Faunal Directory. Archived 5 April 2011.

Wikidata ☰ Q4678022 entry