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Portable Pupal case of a Tortricid Moth with exuvia (Spilonota constrictana) A pupal case similar to the one seen in <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/36706/portable_pupal_case_of_a_tortricid_moth_spilonota_constrictana.html" title="Portable Pupal Case of a Tortricid Moth (Spilonota constrictana)"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/2767/36706_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1761782410&Signature=O1h2AG8u2mNHmPly7deNc%2BKX7f4%3D" width="200" height="150" alt="Portable Pupal Case of a Tortricid Moth (Spilonota constrictana) This was a really interesting find for me. The cracked brown structure up the stem is the dried-up &quot;nut&quot; of this Callistemon but the smaller structure looking like two stacked pots is the portable larval case of a small moth. I believe that these &quot;pots&quot; are made up of tightly rolled bits of bark or leaf and probably stuck together with silk. I have seen up to a 3-pot stack and assume that as the larva outgrows a pot it makes another one to add to the first. Again, The moth larva probably feeds head down and wanders around being protected within the case.<br /> The following spotting shows a similar stack with the outer skin ( exuvia) of the adult still stuck to the base of the stack. Australia,Geotagged,Olethreutinid case moth,Spilonota constrictana" /></a></figure><br /> Here there is two chamber stack with the exoskeleton (exuvia) of the adult still attached to the base of the stack. The adult would have emerged (ecloded) breaking out of its larval skin to a fully winged adult moth. The adult would have been a small dark moth from a family of leaf-rollers (Tortricidae). This one was spotted on the same tree as the one in the first spotting. Here is a similar one on record from New South Wales in 1975 <a href="http://www1.ala.org.au/gallery2/v/Tortricidae/olethreutinae/Eucosmini/SPILONOTA+constrictana+Walker+1881+Portable+Case+of+Larva.jpg.html" rel="nofollow">http://www1.ala.org.au/gallery2/v/Tortricidae/olethreutinae/Eucosmini/SPILONOTA+constrictana+Walker+1881+Portable+Case+of+Larva.jpg.html</a> Australia,Geotagged,Olethreutinid case moth,Spilonota constrictana,Spring Click/tap to enlarge

Portable Pupal case of a Tortricid Moth with exuvia (Spilonota constrictana)

A pupal case similar to the one seen in

Portable Pupal Case of a Tortricid Moth (Spilonota constrictana) This was a really interesting find for me. The cracked brown structure up the stem is the dried-up "nut" of this Callistemon but the smaller structure looking like two stacked pots is the portable larval case of a small moth. I believe that these "pots" are made up of tightly rolled bits of bark or leaf and probably stuck together with silk. I have seen up to a 3-pot stack and assume that as the larva outgrows a pot it makes another one to add to the first. Again, The moth larva probably feeds head down and wanders around being protected within the case.<br /> The following spotting shows a similar stack with the outer skin ( exuvia) of the adult still stuck to the base of the stack. Australia,Geotagged,Olethreutinid case moth,Spilonota constrictana

Here there is two chamber stack with the exoskeleton (exuvia) of the adult still attached to the base of the stack. The adult would have emerged (ecloded) breaking out of its larval skin to a fully winged adult moth. The adult would have been a small dark moth from a family of leaf-rollers (Tortricidae). This one was spotted on the same tree as the one in the first spotting. Here is a similar one on record from New South Wales in 1975 http://www1.ala.org.au/gallery2/v/Tortricidae/olethreutinae/Eucosmini/SPILONOTA+constrictana+Walker+1881+Portable+Case+of+Larva.jpg.html

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The Olethreutinid case moth

Spilonota is a genus of moths belonging to the subfamily Olethreutinae of the family Tortricidae.

Info 2 0
Similar species: Moths And Butterflies
Species identified by Mark Ridgway
View Leuba Ridgway's profile

By Leuba Ridgway

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Uploaded Mar 12, 2016. Captured Nov 6, 2014 12:38 in 60 Westlands Rd, Emerald VIC 3782, Australia.
country flag of Australia Explore Australia 13,178 4,196 3
  • SZ-10
  • f/3.7
  • 10/500s
  • ISO200
  • 10.99mm