1. Live pictures

1.1. Imago

2. Diagnosis

1-3: ♂, data see label (coll. & photos: Egbert Friedrich)

3. Biology

3.1. Hostplants

The caterpillar feeds on Erythrophleum chlorostachys.

4. Further information

4.1. Etymology

Lane (1995: 118): “The specific name is derived from the Latin ex, out of and cavus, a hollow or hole. It is treated as a noun in apposition and refers to the larval habit of burrowing into the soil to pupate.”

4.2. Other combinations

• Opodiphthera excavus Lane, 1995 [original combination]

4.3. Type material

Lane (1995: 115): “QUEENSLAND: Holotype ♂, Wolfram Camp, 27 kom NW of Dimbulah, bred ex pupa, 10.iv.1993, D.A. Lane, in Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC), Canberra.” — Paratypes: 55 ♂♂ and 23 ♀♀.

4.4. Literature

• Original description: Lane, D. A. (1995): A new species of Opodiphthera Wallengren (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) from Northern Australia. — Australian Entomologist 22 (4): 115-122.