Family SPHINGIDAE
Subfamily Macroglossinae
Theretra tryoni is found in Queensland and New South Wales. We have seen this moth from October to April. (see caterpillars)
Below are eggs at different stages of development laid by aTheretra tryoni on Alocasia brisbanensis. There is also an egg that has been parasitized by a tiny wasp and you can see the developing wasp larvae inside it. Seven Telenomus species wasps in the SCELIONIDAE family hatched out after feeding on the caterpillar within the egg.
The caterpillars ofTheretra tryoni have five instars and bury into leaf litter and soil to pupate.
They regularly feed on the rainforest native Alocasia brisbanensis, cunjevoi. They have also been found to eat: *A. cucullata, A. macrorrhizos from Torres Straits islands, *Colocasia esculenta, taro, *Cyrtosperma johnstonii, *Remusatia vivipara, *Zantedeschia aethiopica, arum lily (ARACEA).
At our place they feed on A. brisbanensis from December to May.
