Cryptothelea species B Pyramid Casemoth PSYCHIDAE,   TINEOIDEA

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

(Photo: courtesy of Buck Richardson, Kuranda, Queensland)

This caterpillar initially attaches four sticks in a square around its case, all of the same length, and attaches them at right angles to the axis of the case. As the caterpillar grows: it keeps attaching a new set similarly arranged to the old set, except that they are slightly longer, so forming a larger square aligned with the previous four, so that the case grows like a pyramid.

This may a variant case of Cryptothelea fuscescens, forgetting to add the left twist as each new layer is added, or the Right-handed Pyramid Case Moth forgetting to add the right twist as each new layer is added, or the Haphazard Pyramid Case Moth but constructing its case in a more regular fashion.

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(updated 22 April 2011, 20 July 2024)