Overview
Panacela
(4 spp.) is endemic and has a frenulum and retinaculum in males, but not in females; it is without an epiphysis and the tornus of the hind wing is slightly produced. The larvae of
P
.
lewinae
live gregariously in communal shelters of silk, spun in the branches of
Exocarpos
,
Eucalyptus
and other trees, and sometimes cause extensive defoliation. They occasionally damage
Pinus
radiata
. The larval hairs are capable of inflicting skin rashes in humans.
Description
Antennae bipectinate to apex in both sexes; proboscis very weak or absent; maxillary palps absent; labial palps short; epiphysis sometimes present, tibial spurs 0-2-2; fore wing usually with retinaculum, areole absent, R
2
and R
3
usually fused, and R
2
or R
2+3
arising from R
4
beyond its junction with R
5
, CuP vestigial or absent; hind wing with frenulum usually present, functional, Sc and Rs well separated, usually connected by R
1
, CuP vestigial or absent, 2 anal veins. Larva with dense secondary setae, often branched, dorsal verrucae of abdominal segment 1 similar to those of 2-8, crochets biordinal, shorter series with subapical spur or dentate. Pupa in flimsy cocoon of silk mixed with larval hairs.
Distribution
This chiefly Old World family (Forbes 1955) includes 3 genera in Australia. In the Indo-Malayan
Eupterote
(1 sp.), and in
Cotana
(2 spp.) which also occurs in New Guinea, a large epiphysis is present in the male, but absent in the female.
Eupterote
lacks the frenulum and retinaculum found in
Cotana
.
E
.
expansa
is a large, anthelid-like species from North Qld.