LITHOSIINAE of Australia
Footmen, Lichen Moths.
 ARCTIIDAE , NOCTUOIDEA

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

(updated 1 July 2008)

The Caterpillars of the subfamily LITHOSIINAE typically have hairs in various patterns over the body. The hairs can cause Urticaria in sensitive people. The Caterpillars typically feed on Lichens and Algae. Characteristically, if disturbed, they roll into a tight spiral with the head in the centre.

They pupate in a cocoon made of silk with their hairs matted together.

The adults are small to medium in size, and many are black and yellow. Some often fold their wings closely along their bodies giving them a stiff appearance: hence their name "Footmen".

Some common species of the 215 named Australian members of this subfamily are:

Anestia ombrophanes : Clouded Footman
Anestia semiochrea

  • Asura bipars
    Asura cervicalis
    Asura lydia
    Asura polyspila

    Calamidia hirta

  • Castulo doubledayi
  • Castulo plagiata

  • Chamaita barnardi

  • Chrysomesia lophoptera

  • Chrysoscota tanyphara

    Cyana meyricki

  • Cyana obscura

  • Damias elegans

    Diduga flavicostata

    Eilema plana : Little White Lichen Moth

    Eugoa basipuncta

    Eutane terminalis : Banded Lichen Moth
    Eutane trimochla

  • Graphosia lophopyga

  • Gymnasura saginaea

  • Halone pteridaula
  • Halone sejuncta
  • Halone servilis
    Halone sinuata : Rock Lichen Moth

  • Hectobrocha adoxa
  • Hectobrocha multilinea
    Hectobrocha pentacyma

  • Heliosia charopa
    Heliosia jucunda
  • Heliosia micra
    Heliosia perichares

  • Hemonia micrommata

  • Heterallactis microchrysa
    Heterallactis phlogozona
    Heterallactis stenochrysa

    Heterotropa fastosa

  • Hobapromea cleta

    Lambula obliquilinea

  • Lambula transcripta

  • Lepista pulverulenta

    Lyclene pyraula
    Lyclene reticulata
    Lyclene structa : Banded Lichen Moth

  • Macaduma strongyla

    Manulea dorsalis
    Manulea replana : Lichen-eating Caterpillar

  • Melastrota nigrisquamata

  • Meteura cervina

  • Microstola ammoscia

  • Notata modicus

    Oenistis altica

    Palaeosia bicosta : Two-Ribbed Arctiid

  • Panachranta lirioleuca

  • Parascaptia biplagata

  • Parelectis saleuta

  • Phaeophlebosia furcifera

  • Phaos aglaophara

  • Phenacomorpha bisecta

  • Philenora pteridopola

  • Pseudophanes melanoptera

  • Psilopepla mollis

    Scaptesyle dichotoma : Reticulated Footman

  • Scaptesyle dictyota
  • Scaptesyle equidistans
  • Scaptesyle middletoni
  • Scaptesyle monogrammaria
  • Scaptesyle tetramita

    Schistophleps albida

  • Scoliacma adrasta
    Scoliacma bicolora : Red Footman
  • Scoliacma nana
  • Scoliacma pactolias
  • Scoliacma pasteophara
  • Scoliacma xuthopis

  • Stenarcha stenopa

  • Stenoscaptia venusta

  • Symmetrodes sciocosma

  • Teratopora acosma

    Termessa catocalina

  • Termessa congrua
  • Termessa conographa
    Termessa gratiosa
    Termessa nivosa
    Termessa shepherdi : Shepherd's Footman
  • Termessa xanthomelas

  • Teulisna bipunctata

  • Thallarcha albicollis
  • Thallarcha fusa
  • Thallarcha jocularis
  • Thallarcha levis
  • Thallarcha lochaga
    Thallarcha macilenta
    Thallarcha partita
    Thallarcha sparsana

  • Tigrioides alterna
  • Tigrioides nitens

  • Trischalis aureoplagiata

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