''Chelepteryx collesi'', the batwing moth or white stemmed gum moth, is a

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

of the family

Anthelidae Anthelidae is a family of Australian lappet moths in the order Lepidoptera. It had earlier been considered to be part of the Lasiocampoidea superfamily, but a 2008 molecular phylogenetic study, supported by a 2011 study, resulted in reincluding t ...

. The species was first described by

John Edward Gray John Edward Gray (12 February 1800 – 7 March 1875) was a British zoologist. He was the elder brother of zoologist George Robert Gray and son of the pharmacologist and botanist Samuel Frederick Gray (1766–1828). The same is used for a z ...

in 1835. It is found in

Australasia Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term is used in a number of different context ...

. The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the opposite wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingsp ...

of the female can range up to 160 mm; the male has a wingspan that ranges to about 140 mm. The larvae feed on

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae (), the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All ...

species. They are the largest caterpillars in Australia, growing to a length of 15 cm, and they have many sharp

urticating hair Urticating hairs or urticating bristles are one of the primary defense mechanisms used by numerous plants, almost all New World tarantulas, and various lepidopteran caterpillars. ''Urtica'' is Latin for "nettle" (stinging nettles are in the genu ...

s. The hairs are sharp and very difficult to dislodge once embedded in the skin. The cocoons are also large and are similarly protected by stinging hairs. File:Chelepteryx collesi.jpg, Male,

Australian Museum The Australian Museum, originally known as the Colonial Museum or Sydney Museum. is a heritage-listed museum at 1 William Street, Sydney, William Street, Sydney central business district, Sydney CBD, New South Wales. It is the oldest natural ...

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

File:Chelepteryx collesi-f.jpg, Female, Australian Museum, Sydney

References

Moths described in 1835 Taxa named by John Edward Gray Anthelidae {{Anthelidae-stub