Conoeca guildingi

A case moth at Fraser, ACT

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Identification history

	Conoeca guildingi	14 Feb 2023	ibaird
	Conoeca guildingi	14 Feb 2023	AlisonMilton

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9 comments

donhe wrote:

14 Feb 2023

I agree likely C. guildingi. Can you rear it to get the moth for confirmation?

AlisonMilton wrote:

14 Feb 2023

I have one in custody. Not sure if it was this one or the one I found in Spence. I didn't have any luck rearing them last year.

donhe wrote:

15 Feb 2023

In a stable population, and a female lays 'n' eggs, then on average only 2 will reach maturity and lay eggs next year. So if n=200, that;s a 99% mortality, i.e. most caterpillars don't make it, due to infections from viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasitoids, and predators. Protective custody improves the odds, but they may well have caught something before they were collected. But itis worth a go, otherwise we will never know what turns into what.

AlisonMilton wrote:

15 Feb 2023

I just don't know what to feed it because they are always on the trunk of trees, nowhere near any leaves. Last year I tried adding bits of barks from the trees on which I found them, but with no success. Will try again.

donhe wrote:

15 Feb 2023

I guess it's algae and lichen.

ConBoekel wrote:

15 Feb 2023

I have seen something similar to this case moth on Cherry Ballart and on Cassinnia sp.

AlisonMilton wrote:

15 Feb 2023

I've only seen them on Eucalypts with white trunks and always on the trunk.

donhe wrote:

15 Feb 2023

Maybe they are just more conspicuous there. Maybe they dine elsewhere. Anyway, try gauging out some white gum bark for 4470335 to nibble?

AlisonMilton wrote:

15 Feb 2023

I placed it in a container with some insects found on the trunk of a similar tree that I can't decide if they are beetle or leaf hopper larvae. This afternoon added a peice of bark with lichen and some gum leaves, just in case. The cone moth has now attached itself to the gum leaves, so who knows. Will keep observing with interest and keep adding both bark and leaves. Would be a long journey up and back to the gum leaves each night but...

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