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

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of ...

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 ...

. The species was first described by

John Edward Gray John Edward Gray, Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (12 February 1800 – 7 March 1875) was a British zoology, zoologist. He was the elder brother of zoologist George Robert Gray and son of the pharmacologist and botanist Samuel Frederick Gray ...

in 1835. It is found in

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecolo ...

. The

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

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 spe ...

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 gen ...

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 is a heritage-listed museum at 1 William Street, Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia. It is the oldest museum in Australia,Design 5, 2016, p.1 and the fifth oldest natural history museum in th ...

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

References

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