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The Australian bagmoth (''Cebysa leucotelus'') or lichen bag moth is a 
The larvae build a protective bag like the other bag moths in the family Psychidae, and feed on
Australian Caterpillars
Psychidae Moths of New Zealand Moths described in 1854 {{Tineoidea-stub
moth
Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...
of the Psychidae
The Psychidae (bagworm moths, also simply bagworms or bagmoths) are a family of the Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). The bagworm family is fairly small, with about 1,350 species described. Bagworm species are found globally, with some, su ...
family. It is found in New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
and the southern half of Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
(Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
, Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
and Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
).
The larvae build a protective bag like the other bag moths in the family Psychidae, and feed on lichen
A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.algae
Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...
.
The adult female moth has black wings with yellow wingtips and patches, but they do not expand properly, so she is not able to fly. Females are often mistaken for beetles or wasps.
The male has a similar pattern and colouring, more brown and cream, and no iridescence
Iridescence (also known as goniochromism) is the phenomenon of certain surfaces that appear to gradually change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. Examples of iridescence include soap bubbles, feathers, butterfl ...
. His wings are fully developed and adult males can fly normally. Neither male nor female ever eat, and live only long enough to mate and produce eggs.
Lichen bag moths arrived in New Zealand from Australia in 1981 and have been gradually spreading across the country.
References
External links
Australian Caterpillars
Psychidae Moths of New Zealand Moths described in 1854 {{Tineoidea-stub