Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Hepialidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Abantiades | |
Similar Abantiades, Abantiades latipennis, Abantiades hyalinatus, Trictena, Trictena atripalpis | ||
Abantiades marcidus is a moth of the Hepialidae family. It is endemic to Australia, where it is found in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria. The larvae are a favoured bait for fishing.
Adults are grey-brown with variable white markings on the forewings. The hindwings are brown, fading to pale brown at the margins.
The larvae are subterranean and feed on the roots of Eucalyptus species, living in a vertical tunnel closed off by a hinged lid. They ringbark the roots causing the plant to create a gall-like tissue, upon which they feed. The larvae are white with a brown head. Pupation takes place at the bottom of the tunnel.
References
Abantiades marcidus Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA