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Lichen case Moth (♀)
Cebysa leucotelus
-37.8983, 145.311
Field Notes
Description:
This tiny moth (about 8 mm) with shimmering bluish black wings with bright yellow markings along the costa and the submarginal areas. The wings looked only partially extended giving the body a humped appearance. The head, thorax and abdomen were black. Antennae appeared scaly and had white tips. Legs were long and scaly with bands of white on the fore legs.
Habitat:
Suburban garden.
Notes:
This puzzling moth was extremely active walking with jerky/darting movements and antennae moving up and down, very much like a predatory wasp.
These females are said to be walkers and do not fly, although I witnessed a feeble attempt at flight. They are also said to have long ovipositors but I did not see any (possibly retractable).
Males can fly and have fully extended wings.
The larvae fo these moths live in bags made of lichens and debris. They feed on lichen off rocks, walls and bricks and grow up to 20 mm in length.
One Synonym: Pitane dilecta
Family: Psychidae <br>
A larva of this moth in it's "bag" can be seen in this spotting (spotted in the same area)
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/38812235 <br>
and here is a spotting of a handsome male of the species spotted by Stephen Solomons <br>
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/268366046
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