Eulechria xuthophylla Turner, 1937 EULECHRIA GROUP OECOPHORINAE,   OECOPHORIDAE,   GELECHIOIDEA

Don Herbison-Evans, (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley

(Photo: courtesy of D.P. Rees, Harrison, Australian Capital Territory)

The Caterpillar of this species is thought to feed on dead leaves, as do others in this genus Eulechria, although different species in this genus seem each to prefer different host plants. The caterpillar probably lives in a tubular silk lined gallery, incorporating debris and frass, in amongst the dead leaves.

The caterpillar probably pupates in a larger and looser chamber at one end of the gallery.

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

The adult moth has pale yellow forewings which each have a dark brown base blending into a dark line along part of the costa. There are some pale brown smudges along the forewing margin, and a pale brown half band hanging off hind margin about two thirds along the forewing. The wingspan is about 2 cms.

The species has been found in eastern Australia, including:

Australian Capital Territory.

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Further reading :

Ian F.B. Common,
Oecophorine Genera of Australia II: The Chezala, Philobota and Eulechria groups (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae),
Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Volume 5,
CSIRO Publishing, 1997, p. 370.

A. Jefferis Turner,
Revision of Australian Lepidoptera. Oecophoridae VI,
Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales,
Volume 62, Parts 3-4 (1937), p. 87.

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(updated 4 August 2010, 10 June 2026)