Family BOMBYCIDAE
Compiler and date details
E.D. (Ted) Edwards
Introduction
The Australian Bombycidae were revised by Turner (1922b) who included those genera now placed in the Eupterotidae.
The endemic monotypic genus Gastridiota Turner was assigned to the Bombycidae and Elachyophthalma C. Felder were revised by Rothschild (1920).
The single species of Gastridiota inhabits subtropical rainforests in northeastern N.S.W. and southern Queensland and Elachyophthalma is found in the rainforests on Cape York Peninsula and in New Guinea.
As with some other Bombycinae, the larvae of Gastridiota feed on Ficus (Moraceae).
The silkworm, Bombyx mori (Linnaeus), was introduced with early settlement and is widely cultivated for casual silk production and for education in schools.
General References
Rothschild, L.W. 1920. On the genus Elachyophthalma Feld. Novitates Zoologicae 27: 321-326
Turner, A.J. 1922. Revision of Australian Lepidoptera. Saturniadae, Bombycidae, Eupterotidae, Notodontidae. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 47: 348-390 [Date published 15 Dec. 1922]