Scientific name: Doratifera casta
Distribution
Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia
Identification:
Caterpillar
20 mm in length. It is black and sometimes grey in the middle, with light pale green spikes along the back and cream-coloured spikes along its sides. It has four spikes on its thorax that protrude cream-coloured hairs that sting when it is threatened or disturbed.
Moth
It has a wingspan of 30 mm. The body is uniformly brown and each forewing has a row of four black dots. The moth of this species looks very similar to that of the four-spotted cup moth but D. casta moths are darker in colour and have darker spots. Identification of this species is more accurate with the caterpillar.
Behaviour
The caperpillars feed on gum trees or Eucalyptus spp., bottlebrush, watergum, brush box, and wattles.
Danger
The hairs can cause intense stings and irritation when they touch the skin due to toxins.