#caseworm

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The Case Moth

The Case Moth is a Queensland dreamtime story in which a father and son go hunting. The son becomes very weak from starvation so the father builds a gunyah for him to shelter in while he goes looking for food. Finally, after much searching the father manages to find a possum, however on his return he discovers that the gods have saved his sons life by turning him into a moth, with the gunyah as his case -- a case moth.

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#392 - Lewin's Case Moth

Clania lewinii - most easily distinguished from Clania ignobilis, because this species cuts all its twigs off evenly, without leaving one of two protruding far out behind.

Wagga Wagga airport, NSW

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#391 - Faggot Case Moth

.Clania ignobilis. An extremely unfortunate common name, but in this case it refers to the resemblance to a bundle of firewood.

This one, from Hammond Park, Perth, was still quite young. As they get older, they'll use bigger twigs, but each time they'll leave one or two twigs much longer than the rest.

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60 Hyalarcta on a kerbside tree, and a mystery - if the females are flightless, how did they all get there?

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#390 - Hyalarcta nigrescens - Ribbed Case Moth

Larval case of another Psychid caterpillar. This species doesn't add twigs or leaves to the case, which you'd think would leave them more vulnerable to parasitoid wasps, but since Psychids are notoriously vulnerable regardless, it can't matter that much.

The adult male moths are hairy and black, with transparent forewings, and dark blue hindwings

Wagga Wagga Airport, NSW

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#389 - Saunder's Casemoth

An extremely battered caseworm moth Metura elongatus, ( fam Psychidae) from my mid-1990s collection. A male. Despite the long body and tiny wings, still capable of flight. Back before I caught it, anyway. Now, not so much.