The Eucalyptus Leafroller (Stictea macropetana) is a moth

Moth

A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...

 of the Tortricidae

Tortricidae

Tortricidae is a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths, in the order Lepidoptera. Tortricidae is a large family with over 9,400 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea. Many of these are economically important pests. Olethreutidae is a junior synonym...

 family. It is native to Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, but is an introduced species in New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, where it was first recorded in 1921.

The wingspan

Wingspan

The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...

 is 13-19 mm. Males have uniform ash/grey forewings, with darker bands. Females have a light wavy band along the rear edge of the forewing, edged by a thin dark line. The male and female hindwings are a uniform brownish grey, containing a fringe of hairs along the edge.

The larvae feed on the leaves, buds and developing flowers of young eucalypts, including Eucalyptus microcorys, Eucalyptus nitens

Eucalyptus nitens

Eucalyptus nitens, commonly known as Shining Gum, is a Eucalypt species native to Victoria and eastern New South Wales, Australia. It grows in wet forests and rainforest margins on fertile soils in cool high-rainfall areas.-Description:...

, Eucalyptus fastigata

Eucalyptus fastigata

Brown Barrel or Cut-Tail is a common eucalyptus tree of south eastern Australia.It can grow in excess of 60 metres in height, though is mostly seen between 30 and 45 metres tall. Brown Barrel grows in cooler areas of high rainfall with fertile soils...

, Eucalyptus saligna

Eucalyptus saligna

Eucalyptus saligna, known as the Sydney Blue Gum, is a large Australian hardwood tree common along the New South Wales seaboard and into Queensland, reaching about 65 metres in height...

, Eucalyptus cladocalyx

Eucalyptus cladocalyx

The Sugar Gum is a eucalypt from South Australia. It is found naturally in three distinct populations - in the Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula and on Kangaroo Island. Sugar Gums from the Flinders Ranges reach up to 35m in height and have the classic "gum" habit - with a straight trunk and steep...

, Eucalyptus baxteri

Eucalyptus baxteri

The brown stringybark is a eucalypt which is native to Australia's southeast, occurring from southern New South Wales through Victoria and into the Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island of eastern South Australia. It is a medium-sized tree which can reach 40 m in height. The rough stringy bark...

, Eucalyptus muelleriana

Eucalyptus muelleriana

Eucalyptus muelleriana, commonly known as Yellow Stringybark, is a species of Eucalyptus which is native to New South Wales and Victoria in Australia. It is a tall tree, growing up to 40 metres in height.-References:*...

, Eucalyptus obliqua

Eucalyptus obliqua

Eucalyptus obliqua, commonly known as Australian Oak, Brown Top, Brown Top Stringbark, Messmate, Messmate Stringybark, Stringybark and Tasmanian Oak, is a hardwood tree native to south-eastern Australia....

, Eucalyptus globoidea

Eucalyptus globoidea

Eucalyptus globoidea, known by the common name White Stringybark, is a tree native to eastern Australia. It has thick, fibrous bark usually colored light gray over reddish brown. It is also known for its distinctive glossy green leaves in its adult life...

, and Eucalyptus regnans

Eucalyptus regnans

Eucalyptus regnans, known variously by the common names Mountain Ash, Victorian Ash, Swamp Gum, Tasmanian Oak or Stringy Gum, is a species of Eucalyptus native to southeastern Australia, in Tasmania and Victoria...

. The larvae create a protective shelter from which they feed by combining silken threads and foliage. A single larva may construct several shelters within its life span. Young larvae scour the leaf surface as they feed, and may also excavate terminal buds. Continuous feeding and webbing results in a browned surface which eventually becomes skeletonised and dies. Young larvae are translucent green/yellow. Full-grown larvae are 8-14 mm long and become dark green. Pupation takes place in a silk cocoon in an old leaf roll, loose bark, dry leaf or within soil at the base of a tree.