Xylorycta luteotactella

Xylorycta luteotactella (Walker, 1864)
(synonym : Cryptolechia cognatella)
XYLORYCTIDAE

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

(updated 7 September 2005)

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

This Caterpillar is a pest on commercial PROTEACEAE, such as the the Australian natives:

Waratah ( Telopea speciosissima ),

Geebung ( Persoonia lanceolata ),

Tree Waratah ( Alloxylon flammeum ),

Macadamia Nuts ( Macadamia integrifolia ),

Candle Flowers ( Banksia latifolia ),

Needlewood ( Hakea acicularis ), and

Mountain Devil ( Lambertia formosa ),

and the introduced

Pin Cushion Protea ( Leucospermum cordifolium ).

The eggs are laid singly at the leaf axils of a foodplant, and are initially yellow, changing to red. They are often laid on a plant that has already been damaged by the Caterpillars. The Caterpillars bore into the stems and live in the tunnels or in silken gallery made from joined foliage and frass. They are buff coloured, and have lines of brown spots along the body. The head is dark shiny brown, and the prothorax is white. It gives the appearance of wearing a white collar!

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

The adult moth is shiny white with a yellow strip along the leading edge of the forewings, and a fringe along the rear edge of each hind wing. The abdomen is brown, with white between the segments. The moth has a wingspan of about 2 cms.

This species occurs the whole length of the eastern half of Australia.