Red-lined looper
Crypsiphona ocultaria
The red-lined looper is one of the most common moths in Australia. Under its wings it has red markings, which give it its name. Its caterpillar is a clever actor that pretends to be a stick.
Lives in
Australia, wherever gum trees grow
Wingspan
4 to 5 cm (1.6 to 2 in)
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. It does not bite or sting.
What does it eat?
Its caterpillars eat gum tree leaves.
How big is it?
How wide are its wings?
🧱wings as wide as 1.5 toy building bricks⚽could fly across a whole football pitch in 24 seconds
How big is Red-lined looper compared to YOU?
Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How fast is it?
A kid running fast about 13 km/h (8.1 mph)
Red-lined looper about 16 km/h (9.9 mph)
A grown-up on a bike about 25 km/h (16 mph)
A car driving in town about 50 km/h (31 mph)
cool stuff
Fun facts
1
When its caterpillar feels threatened, it stands very still and pretends to be a twig.
2
The caterpillar is bluish green with an off-white line along its sides.
3
Males and females look alike.
you asked
Most asked questions about Red-lined looper
?What does the red-lined looper eat?
Its caterpillars eat the leaves of gum trees.
?Why is it called red-lined?
Because of the red markings on the undersides of its wings.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Crypsiphona ocultaria
- Named by
- Donovan, 1805
- Group
- Moths
- Family
- Geometridae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Geometridae
- Lives on
- Australia and Oceania
- Also known as
- Red-lined geometer
Where the facts come from
- Crypsiphona ocultaria (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Donald Hobern from Canberra, Australia. CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
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