Eggs


of
Butterflies and Moths of Australia

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

(updated 13 November 2007)

The eggs of Lepidoptera are usually rounded with various patterns in relief on the surface. These are only visible when magnified, for example when viewed under a microscope. Each species has its own distinctive pattern. The eggs also vary in size from species to species, from diameters of about 0.01 cm. to 0.2 cm. The number laid also varies with the species, some laying a few tens to some laying thousands. The mode of laying them also varies, some just dropping them as they fly around, some laying them singly on food plants, and some laying them in geometric arrays or irregular piles. The time taken to hatch also varies with species and with climate. Some take a few days, some many months.

The following species have web pages here which include pictures of their eggs. The photographs come from many sources, and some are highly magnified, and some are about life size, and some are of eggs that are empty because the Caterpillars just hatched.

BUTTERFLIES

PAPILIONIDAE :
Cressida cressida
Graphium eurypylus
Graphium sarpedon
Papilio fuscus
Protographium leosthenes

PIERIDAE :
Belenois java
Catopsilia gorgophone
Delias argenthona

NYMPHALIDAE :
Acraea andromacha
Argyreus hyperbius
Cethosia penthesilea
Danaus chrysippus
Danaus plexippus
Vindula arsinoe

LYCAENIDAE :
Acrodipsas myrmecophila
Lampides boeticus
Praetaxila segecia
Zizina labradus

HESPERIIDAE :
Cephrenes augiades
Chaetocneme beata
Euschemon rafflesia
Ocybadistes flavovittata
Ocybadistes walkeri
Sabena fuliginosa
Trapezites symmomus

MOTHS

ANTHELIDAE :
Anthela acuta
Anthela flavescans
Anthela ocellata
Anthela varia
Chelepteryx collesi

ARCTIIDAE :
Anestia semiochrea
Eutane terminalis
Spilosoma curvata
Spilosoma glatignyi

BOMBYCIDAE :
Bombyx mori

CRAMBIDAE :
Chilo suppressalis
Crocidolomia pavonana

GELECHIIDAE :
Symmetrischema tangolias

GEOMETRIDAE :
Acalyphes philorites
Amelora acromegala
Amelora belemnophora
Amelora leucaniata
Amelora macarta
Amelora nebulosa
Amelora sparsularia
Aphantes melanochorda
Arhodia lasiocamparia
Authaemon stenonipha
Capusa cuculloides
Capusa senilis
Casbia crataea
Casbia farinalis
Casbia melanops
Chlenias auctaria
Chlenias seminigra
Chlenias zonaea
Chlorocoma externa
Chlorocoma tetraspila
Circopetes obtusata
Gastrina cristaria
Hypodoxa bryophylla
Mnesampela privata
Pholodes sinistraria
Phrissogonus laticostata
Plesanemma fucata
Scopula rubraria
Selidosema penthearia
Stibaroma melanotoxa

HEPIALIDAE :
Elhamma australasiae

LASIOCAMPIDAE :
Entometa fervens
Pararguda australasiae
Pernattia pusilla
Porela cinerea

LIMACODIDAE :
Doratifera quadriguttata
Doratifera vulnerans

LYMANTRIIDAE :
Calliteara pura
Euproctis lutea
Euproctis melanosoma
Leptocneria reducta
Teia anartoides
Urocoma baliolalis

NOCTUIDAE :
Achaea argilla
Amphiongia chordophoides
Anadevidia peponis
Chrysodeixis argentifera
Spodoptera litura
Spodoptera mauritia
Uraba lugens

OECOPHORIDAE :
Cryptophase irrorata

OENOSANDRIDAE :
Oenosandra boisduvalii

SATURNIIDAE :
Syntherata janetta

SPHINGIDAE :
Cizara ardeniae

TORTRICIDAE :
Epiphyas postvittana
Grapholita molesta
Tortrix species

Link to
Frequently Asked Questions about Caterpillars

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