#insect structures

Live Metura aristocosma Specimen

I’ve come across a handful of M. aristocosma cocoons, but this is the first live specimen I’ve found! You can see the caterpillar’s head in photo 4.

If you’re unfamiliar with this species, these caterpillars build large elaborate cocoons. Similar to Metura elongatus, however aristocosma cocoons are made up of finely chewed twigs (photos of case creation) and are also generally larger than elongatus.

The specimen I collected was quite young, but older caterpillars can build significantly larger cases (example of larger case).

I found this specimen (and a much larger dormant cocoon) on Lilly Pilly, but Australian Lepidoptera mentions that the caterpillars can feed on other plants in the Myrtle family (Myrtaceae).

I’m really happy I came across this one! I’m hoping this specimen will progress Entomological Science (I’m not raising the specimen myself, they’ve been sent off to an Entomologist) A humble caterpillar can make a big difference.

Metura aristocosma Previous sighting of a dormant case

Unidentified wizard hat bagworms

I thought I had already made a blog post about these specimens, turns out I was wrong!

These bagworms, usually about 1.5 cm in case length, feed on lichen. Along with this, their cocoons are made of finely chewed bits of lichen, strung together in a wizard hat shape. So far I’ve only found them in the Atherton Tablelands, but I’m not sure if that is there only territory.

Sadly, I can’t find much information about these bagworms, but I’ll keep looking! It’s delightful to see tiny wizard hats wiggling around on the trunks of trees.

Unidentified.

Cyana Meyricki Cage Cocoon

I’ve come across these cocoons before, here. This one’s been parasitized, based on the large circular hole in the pupae.

Cyana meyricki

Collection of Insect Structures

1 - Unidentified, Balta, parasitized 2 - Unidentified 3 - Unidentified