Acyphas semiochrea

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.[1]

Acyphas semiochrea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Erebidae
Genus:
Acyphas
Species:
A. semiochrea
Binomial name
Acyphas semiochrea
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

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
  1. Herbison-Evans, Don & Crossley, Stella (15 November 2019). "Acyphas semiochrea (Herrich-Schaffer, [1855]) Omnivorous Tussock Moth". Australian Caterpillars and their Butterflies and Moths. Retrieved 14 May 2020.


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