Most of the Caterpillars which we have found are the larvae of moths. Moths far outnumber butterflies both in numbers and species. In Australia, there are over 10,000 named species of moths compared with only about 416 species of butterflies. Added to this, many moths have yet to be collected and named, whereas very few butterfly species remain to be discovered in Australia.

The common names of many moths are derived from the behaviour and appearance of their caterpillars. This situation is unlike that for butterflies, the common names for which are usually derived from the adult forms. The difference stems from the fact that common names are given by ordinary people and are handed down by generations. Butterflies fly mainly by day, whereas moth adults fly mainly at night. Also, moth caterpillars are often made conspicuous by the damage they do to plants, as the caterpillars of many moth species are important agricultural pests. Thus the stage of moth development that is most often encountered by ordinary people by day is the caterpillar.

Actually, very few Australian moths have English common names, as there have been only 200 years or so of English settlement in Australia. Even the moth families are usually referred to by derivatives of their scientific names in Australia. The situation is very different from that in Europe and America where most common moth species have common names. In these pages, we give many of the European and American names out of deference to overseas visitors to our pages.

MOTH FAMILIES WITH SOME CATERPILLAR PHOTOS

AGANAIDAE Tropical Tiger Moths	ANTHELIDAE Australian Woolly Bears	ARCTIIDAE Footmen, Woolly Bears, Tiger Moths	BOMBYCIDAE Silkworms
CASTNIIDAE Sun Moths	COSSIDAE Witchetty Grubs, Borers, Goat Moths	CRAMBIDAE Webworms and Shoot Borers	DEPRESSARIIDAE Flat-Bodied Moths
EPERMENIIDAE Fringe-tufted Moths	ETHMIIDAE Black-spotted Moths	EUPTEROTIDAE Monkey Moths	GELECHIIDAE Twirler Moths
GEOMETRIDAE Inchworms, Loopers, Emeralds, Arches	HYBLAEIDAE Teak Moths	LACTURIDAE Lactura Group	LASIOCAMPIDAE Lappet & Snout Moths
LIMACODIDAE Cup & Slug Moths	LYMANTRIIDAE Tussock Moths	NOCTUIDAE Cutworms, Underwings	NOTODONTIDAE Prominents, Bag Shelter Moths & Processionary Caterpillars
OECOPHORIDAE Concealer Moths	OENOSANDRIDAE Autumn Moths	PLUTELLIDAE Diamondback Moths	PSYCHIDAE Bag & Case Moths
PTEROPHORIDAE Plume Moths	PYRALIDAE Snout, Frass, Meal, & Flour Moths	SATURNIIDAE Emperor Moths	SESIIDAE Clear Wings
SPHINGIDAE Hawk Moths	TINEIDAE Clothes Moths	TORTRICIDAE Leaf Rollers & Bell Moths	URANIIDAE Swallowtail Moths

XYLORYCTIDAE Flower Moths

ZYGAENIDAE Foresters & Burnet Moths

MOTH FAMILIES WITH NO CATERPILLAR PHOTOS

ADELIDAE Fairy Moths	AGATHIPHAGIDAE Kauri Moths	AGONOXENIDAE Palm Moths	ALUCITIDAE Many-Plumed Moths
ANOMOSETIDAE Primitive Ghost Moths	ARGYRESTHIIDAE Needle Miners	ARRHENOPHANIDAE Fungus Moths	BATRACHEDRIDAE Fringed Moths
BLASTOBASIDAE Dull Moths	BLASTODACNIDAE Detritus Moths	BRACHODIDAE Little Bear Moths	BUCCULATRICIDAE Flat Moths
CARPOSINIDAE Fruitworms	CARTHAEIDAE Australian Silkworms	CHOREUTIDAE Metalmark Moths	COLEOPHORIDAE New Case Moths
COPROMORPHIDAE Tropical Fruitworms	COSMOPTERIGIDAE Seed Borers	CYCLOTORNIDAE Antworms	DREPANIDAE Hook Tip Moths
DUDGEONEIDAE Lace Moths	ERIOCOTTIDAE Spiny-winged Moths	GALACTICIDAE Leaf Miners	GLYPHIPTERIGIDAE Sedge Moths
GRACILLARIIDAE Leaf Miners	HELIOCOSMIDAE Heliocosma Group	HELIODINIDAE Metal Moths	HEPIALIDAE Ghost & Swift Moths
HERMINIIDAE Dead-leaf worms	HYPERTROPHIDAE Twig Moths	IMMIDAE Immid Moths	LECITHOCERIDAE Tropical Longhorned Moths
LOPHOCORONIDAE Primitive Moths	LYONETIIDAE Stem Borers	MACROPIRATIDAE Long Legged Moths	MICROPTERIGIDAE Mandibulate Moths
NEPTICULIDAE Pygmy Moths	OPOSTEGIDAE White Eyecap Moths	PALAEPHATIDAE Gondwanaland Moths	ROESTLERSTAMMIIDAE Small Ermine Moths
SCYTHRIDIDAE Scythridid Moths	SIMAETHISTIDAE Simaethistid Moths	THYRIDIDAE Picture-winged Leaf Moths	TINEODIDAE False Plume Moths

YPONOMEUTIDAE Ermine Moths

Some unidentified Australian Caterpillars

Australian butterflies

Australian caterpillars

Caterpillar FAQ's