Species introCountry intro
Lichen case Moth - female (Cebysa leucotelus)
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.
The female of the species is not able to fly but her long legs enable her to move fast on the ground. She moved with jerky movements. Females are said to have a long ovipositor ( looking like a sharp pointy shaft at the rear end) but I did not see any - ? retractable.
Here is the male of the species
The Australian bagmoth or lichen bag moth is a moth of the Psychidae family. It is found in New Zealand and the southern half of Australia .
The larvae build a protective bag like the other bag moths in the family Psychidae, and feed on lichen and algae.
The adult female moth has black wings with yellow wingtips and patches, but they do not expand properly, so she is not able to fly. Females are often mistaken for beetles or wasps.
The male has a similar pattern.. more
