Striped Xenica

Size about 18mm. I found a few of these cute caterpillars in bushland on a young tree. They were crawling up quite fast. At some stage a fly joined my photo target, was visibly interested in the caterpillar. My identification is highly speculative. It is unlikely that it is correct since this species has no records as far north. I matched it to http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/nymp/kershaw.html. There it says that later forms can have a forked tail. The body of this specimen is bright green with a neon green line along the whole body. Three front leg pair are enlarged, making it quite fast. Tail is forked and shows little dots. Its head looks like a helmet. It is brown and roundish with a dark eye spot, making it look like an extra-terrestrial visitor. Body shows fine hair and hair bundle. Shoulder and back of the body show single black spots.