Acyphas semiochrea

Acyphas semiochrea
Acyphas semiochrea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lymantriidae
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 is a moth of the Lymantriidae family. It is found along most of the coast of Australia, including: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.

Acyphas semiochrea 2.jpg
Acyphas semiochrea 3.jpg

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.

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