moth/butterfly larvae

By Birding-Aus, on February 14th, 2011

G’day, Can any of the buterfly and moth buffs out there give me a hand with some ID? These three photos have come to me from a property owner in Alice Springs this week and I’m struggling to find them in the books.

http://comebirdwatching.blogspot.com/p/amphibia.html

Thanks very much for any help.

Cheers, Chris Watson Alice Springs

Birding-Aus

3 comments to moth/butterfly larvae

• Anonymous

  February 15, 2011 at 12:33 pm

  Hi Chris,

  The second one is indeed in the Lasiocampidae and seems to match the genus Pinara – see also http://www.flickr.com/photos/dhobern/5305080958/.

  Best wishes,

  Donald

  Donald Hobern, Director, Atlas of Living Australia CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601 Phone: (02) 62464352 Mobile: 0437990208 Email: Donald.Hobern@csiro.au Web: http://www.ala.org.au/

• "Wendy"

  February 14, 2011 at 9:24 pm

  HI Chris, The first and third unknown are Saw Fly larvae. No. 1 looks like Steel Blue Saw Fly. See e.g. http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/none/dorsalis.html

  http://www.csiro.au/resources/Sawfly-Factsheet.html

  http://australianmuseum.net.au/image/Steel-blue-sawfly/

  http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_wasps/Sawflies.htm

  The second one is a caterpillar of the family Lasiocampidae

  see http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/lasi/lasiocampidae.html

  Wendy

• "Richard Turner"

  February 14, 2011 at 4:24 pm

  Chris and others,

  No.1 is a perga, larva of the sawfly wasp and I have observed that species west of Alice Springs.They usually clump at the top of young eucalypts.

  2. larva of a moth as you suggest.

  3. From the position of the pro-legs I would guess another sawfly larva.

  From, Dick Turner