| Right-handed Twisted Pyramid Case Moth PSYCHIDAE, TINEOIDEA | (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley |
(Photo: courtesy of
Buck Richardson,
Kurandah, Queensland)
|
| Right-handed Twisted Pyramid Case Moth PSYCHIDAE, TINEOIDEA | (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley |
(Photo: courtesy of
Buck Richardson,
Kurandah, Queensland)
This Caterpillar initially attaches four sticks around its case, all of the same length, and attaches them at right angles to the axis of the case. When the caterpillar grows sufficiently long, it attaches a new set similarly arranged to the old set, except that they are slightly longer, so that the new part of the case is bigger, creating a pyramid structure.
For this caterpillar: they are attached twisted a few degrees clockwise (viewed from the small end) to the previous set of four. The caterpillar does this perhaps a dozen times as it grows, giving the pyramid a right-handed corkscrew appearance. The case can grow to a length of up to 3 cms.
The species has been found in
Cryptothelea (Oiketicus) dewitzi may create this sort of case, or the larva of Cryptothelea fuscescens may form cases like this if it gets dislexia, and gets left and right confused. or the Pyramid Case Moth if the larva just decides to add a right twist for each layer of sticks.
 caterpillar |  butterflies |  Lepidoptera |  moths |  caterpillar |
(updated 22 April 2011, 11 July 2024)