Theretra queenslandi
We have seen this moth between October and March.
Although we haven’t found larvae here at Claire Cottage, we have found them down in the valley at Bellingen feeding on Dendrocnide excelsa Giant Stinging Tree. In transporting the larvae back here to monitor their progress, we found that they were poisoned by the stinging hairs on the leaves and died. This led us to surmise that, when feeding in the wild, they have a way of avoiding being stung. They could either walk over the top of the hairs when small or flatten them as they walk.
Larval Foodplants: Dendrocnide escelsa giant stinging tree, D. moroides gimpi gimpi, D. photinophylla shiny-leafed stinging tree; Pipturus argenteus native mulberry.
