Emperor Gum Moth, Opodiphthera eucalypti

Emperor Gum Moth, Opodiphthera eucalypti

Where in Australia do they live?
Emperor Gum Moths live all over Australia, including Tasmania. They have also been introduced into New Zealand.

What is their habitat?
They are called ‘gum’ moths because their habitat is forest and woodland areas with eucalypts or gum trees.

What’s special about them?
If you’re out and about on a warm summer or autumn night in Australia, you may catch a glimpse of these big, beautiful creatures as they fly in the moonlight, but pay special attention after midnight when the females emerge to flutter overhead.

What do they eat?
Adults don’t feed and have no functional mouthparts. They live on what they ate as caterpillars. The caterpillars feed on various eucalypt species, as well as Brush Box, Lophostemon confertus , Cherry Guava, Psidium cattleianum and Water Gum, Tristaniopsis laurina. They also feed on non-native species including Pepper Trees (Schinus molle) and some deciduous (plants that lose their leaves) species.

How do they reproduce?
Emperor Gum Moths glue their eggs onto eucalypt leaves, which the large green caterpillars eat when they emerge. The caterpillars are covered in protective spines and build a tough cocoon in which to pupate and transform. They may reinforce this cocoon with bark and remain inside it for one or more years depending on environmental conditions. In the warmer summer months the adults emerge through a hole they have cut with a sharp wing end. The lifespan of adult Emperor Gum Moths is limited to only a couple of weeks. In this time frame they mate, lay eggs and die.

What else do I need to know?
Emperor Gum Moths are large and striking in appearance. Their bodies are multi-coloured but primarily pale reddish-brown. The brown wings are decorated with four distinct orange and black eye spots. The caterpillars they once were are black and white but, as they moult into larger stages, they become bright green with reddish orange and blue fleshy spines. Caterpillars form hard grey woven silk cocoons from which the moths emerge. The possible wingspan of the adult moth is an impressive 6.5 cm.

Where do they fit in the tree of life?
Species: eucalypti
Genus: Opodiphthera
Family: Saturniidae
Order: Lepidoptera
Class: Insecta
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Phylum:Arthropoda
Kingdom: Animalia

What is their conservation status?
The Emperor Gum Moth does not have an IUCN listing.