Chelepteryx collesi

Chelepteryx collesi Gray, [1835]
(erroneously: Saturnia collesii)
White Stemmed Gum Moth
ANTHELIDAE

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

(updated 23 February 2009)

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

This Caterpillar is a great hazard to people climbing Gum trees. Scattered over its skin are tufts of long stiff reddish hairs, which are strong enough to penetrate human skin. When they do, they are very painful, and difficult to remove because they are barbed and brittle.

(Photo: courtesy of Ian McMillan, Imbil, Queensland)

The Caterpillar is grey and black, with transverse bands of large yellow spots.

(Photo: courtesy of Margaret Humphrey)

It feeds on the leaves of various trees in the family MYRTACEAE, such as :

Brush Box ( Lophostemon confertus ),

Blake Paperbark ( Melaleuca quinquenervia ), and

various Gum Trees ( Angophora and Eucalyptus species ).

(Photo: courtesy of Ralph Willis)

It is also one of the largest Caterpillars in Australia, growing in length to about 12 cms. Some trees where they may be found most years in Leichhardt are known by local school-children as 'sausage trees' because the Caterpillars look from the ground like sausages growing in the trees.

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

When mature, the Caterpillars often pupate on the trunk of the food tree, or else sometimes go walkabout to seek a nice crevice in a wall or some such place. They are quite noticeable when they cross roads and paths in this process. They pupate in a leathery double walled cocoon, which is covered by the same hazardous stiff hairs. The Caterpillar pushes these through the silk as the cocoon is constructed. The cocoons are usually well camouflaged, and may be up to 12 cms. long. They are a great hazard to children and others who climb gum trees.

cocoon cut open to show pupa
(Photo: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The moths usually emerge in autumn (April, May), although we have had specimens stay as pupae for over 12 months. The moths large and brown, with wavy bands of yellow and grey.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Miriam and Eric Heatwole, Murrumbateman, NSW)

The males have a wingspan of about 14 cms. The males will often come to lights at night, but the females seldom do. The male moth has a special defence posture when threatened: rearing up, extending its dark fore legs, and exposing the light underside of the wings. In this posture, it resembles a large spider about to strike.

female

The females are larger, reaching a wingspan of 16 cms. The moths are often mistaken for bats.

egg mass

The eggs are brown, oval, and rough, each with a length of about 2mm. They are laid in untidy masses of 20 or so, on any arbitrary surface.

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

The species is found over much of south-eastern Australia.