Capusa senilis

Capusa senilis Walker, 1857
(one synonym is : Chlenias umbraticaria)
NACOPHORINI, ENNOMINAE,
GEOMETRIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Catherine J. Young &
Stella Crossley

(updated 4 March 2005)

This Caterpillar is initially yellow, with a partial dark line along the middle of the back, and has white spiracles with dark outlines, red true legs, and a dark head.

(Photo: courtesy of Catherine J. Young)

Later its body becomes green with yellow spots.

(Photo: courtesy of Catherine J. Young)

Later still it becomes reddish-brown, with a partial dark line along the middle of the back, retaining the black and white spiracles. It feeds on the foliage of :

plants from the Pea family ( FABACEAE ),

Gum Trees ( Eucalyptus species, MYRTACEAE ), and

Pine trees ( PINACEAE ).

(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The adult moth has striated grey wings. Unusually for Geometrids, it folds its wings tightly along its back when at rest, making a shape that tapers to a point at the end of the abdomen.

(Photo: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The eggs are white with a dark dimple in the top, and are roughly spherical with a fine hexangonal embossed pattern. They are laid in a regular array.

eggs, magnified
(Photo: courtesy of Cathy Young)

The species is found over the south-eastern quarter of Australia.

Further reading :

Ian F.B. Common,
Moths of Australia, Melbourne University Press, 1990, pp. 67, 365.

Catherine J. Young,
Characterisation of the Australian Nacophorini and a Phylogeny for the Geometridae from Molecular and Morphological Data, Ph.D. thesis, University of Tasmania, 2003.

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