Spilosoma curvata

Spilosoma curvata (Donovan, 1805)
(one synonym : Chelonia fuscinula)
Crimson Tiger Moth
ARCTIINAE , ARCTIIDAE , NOCTUOIDEA

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

(updated 27 April 2008)

Spilosoma curvata eggs

This Caterpillar starts life as one of an array of white globular eggs laid by its mother moth.

Like most Spilosoma Caterpillars, it is dark and hairy. The hairs are brown over most of the whole body, but are noticeably darker on the first three segments. It has a yellow line down the back, and a black head. It eats various herbaceous plants in broad daylight, We have found it feeding on:

Dandelions ( Taraxacum officinale, ASTERACEAE ),

Beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris, FABACEAE ),

Geranium ( Pelargonium x zonale, GERANIACEAE ), and

Nasturtiums ( Tropaeolum majus, TROPAEOLACEAE ).

When fully grown, the Caterpillar has a length of about 3 cms. It then goes walk-about in search of a dry leaf or crevice in which to form its cocoon and pupate.

(Photo: courtesy of Alexson Ho, Brisbane)

The moth emerges after about a fortnight in summer or four months across winter. It has a stout hairy body. The thorax is brown with a black spot on top, and the abdomen bright red with a black mark on the top of each segment.

(Photo: courtesy of Merlin Crossley)

The species has very variable wing patterns, but basically the forewings are yellow with irregular black bands from front to inner margins, and each hind wing is pink with a black spot at the front margin and a black border just within the outer margin. The main hindwing colour of some specimens is yellow.

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

The species is found over most of Australia, including

New South Wales, and

Queensland.