Hednota bivitella (Donovan, 1805)
(one synonym:
Crambus trivittatus Zeller, 1863)
CRAMBINAE ,
CRAMBIDAE
Don Herbison-Evans (
donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley
(updated 10 April 2008)
This Caterpillar is pale brown with a darker head and
pairs of dark spots along the back.
It grows to a length of about 2 cms.
It lives in the soil in a silk-lined tunnel.
It feeds on :
Blue Mat-Rush ( Lomandra glauca,
XANTHORRHOEACEAE ), and
various
Grasses (
POACEAE ).
It sometimes can become a pest on pastures.
(Specimen: courtesy of the
Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)
The adult moth has forewings with brown and
silvery white longitudinal stripes.
The hind wings are silky and buff coloured.
However, when the moth
is holding onto a vertical blade of grass with its wings
wrapped around its body, the shiny stripes make a good camouflage.
The moth has a wing span of about 3 cms.
The species is found over most of Australia, including
Queensland and
Tasmania.
Further reading :
Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia,
Melbourne University Press, 1990, pp. 52, 80, 351.
