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Ghost moth
Aenetus blackburnii
-37.8991, 145.311
Field Notes
Description:
At branch nodes; a soft, silk and timber tent; approx 50mm length by 30mm diam.; this covers the entrance to a hole in the plant stem of approx. 10mm diam.; inside is a larva, segmented, cream-pink orange-red head, short hook feet; larva approx. 50mm long.
Habitat:
Inside the stem of many species. (This one inside Dodonaea viscosa purpurea)
Notes:
There's a good chance this is Aenetus blackburnii which specialises on Dodonaea viscosa) <br>
http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/hepi/blackburnii.html <br>
The camouflage tent is laughably soft. The larva stays inside the stem for 5 to 6 years after which it pupates, leaves the stem and spends 48 hours without a mouth seeking to mate. It then dies. What a life!
We are feeling a little bit guilty in that one of these needed to be destroyed. There are many more on the plant and this could still turn out to be an introduced species. Can't determine whether this is ligniveren sp. until maturity. Picture 1 is the normal view of the 'tent' 2 is a close-up of the 'tent' material; 3 shows the entrance hole with the tent totally cleared; 4 a vertical split exposes the main chamber; 5 is the worm completely extricated; 6 is 2 days later showing the repair - the chamber is totally sealed again. <br> http://johngrehan.net/index.php/hepialidae/aenetus/aenetus-victoria-aus…
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