Cyana Meyricki

Any more hair and the cyana meyricki caterpillar would be a hairball!

A Cyana meyricki is a type of lichen moth from the family Arctiidae, a family of moths that includes lichen moths, tiger moths, wasp moths, and footman moths.
Cyana meyricki caterpillars are mostly black and tan in colour and have lots of long hairs, and are believed to eat lichen and algae.
Cyana meyricki caterpillars protect themselves during the pupa stage, by using their long hairs, joined together with silk to create a small, mesh-like cage that surrounds the pupa.
A Cyana meyricki pupa rests in the cage without touching the sides, suspended by fine threads of silk.
A Cyana meyricki moth squeezes out of the springy cage without tearing or breaking it.

Cyana Mericki Cacoon, Pupa, Mesh cage, bug, Moth, Ten Random Facts, Australia

Cyana meyricki moths have a wingspan that is typically 3 to 4 centimetres (1 to 1.5 inches) in length.
Cyana meyricki moths are tan and black in colour, and have stripey bodies, with symmetrical large yellow patches or spots on their wings.
Cyana meyricki pupae are sometimes destroyed by a tachinid fly (a large fly) inside its cage, as these flies are parasites, laying eggs on the caterpillar, or on the caterpillar’s food so that they are consumed and then cause internal damage to the caterpillar, and then the cage is used by the fly for protection of its own pupa.
Cyana meyricki caterpillars and moths are native to Australia, in the states of New South Wales and Queensland.
Cyana meyricki moths are one of more than 60 Cyana species, and they have also been called ‘Clerckia meyricki’ and ‘Chionaema meyricci’.

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