About Leistarcha scitissimella (Walker, 1864)
Leistarcha scitissimella (Walker, 1864) is a species of moth in the family Xyloryctidae. It is native to Australia, with confirmed records from Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, and Queensland. This moth has a wingspan of approximately 31 millimeters.
Its forewings are dark fuscous, densely covered in very elongated whitish scales. All veins and the extreme edge of the costal margin are slenderly whitish. A distinct dark fuscous streak runs above the cell from the base to before the middle of the wing, and continues indistinctly between the veins to the costa just before the apex. A second dark fuscous streak runs beneath the cell almost from the base to the middle of the wing. A sharply defined dark fuscous streak extends from the middle of the disc to the hindmargin beneath the apex. A slender dark fuscous streak runs along the inner margin from near the base to the middle of the hindmargin; this streak widens at the anal angle, then tapers, and is sharply interrupted by the veins. The hindwings are fuscous-grey, and are noticeably lighter in color toward the base.
The larvae of Leistarcha scitissimella feed on Eucalyptus amygdalina. They live beneath loose bark, and attach cut leaves to the entrance of their shelter. The larvae themselves are greyish-fuscous, with lighter, more greenish coloration on their anterior sections.
