Moth larvae's bony face makes it look fierce (but it's just skullduggery to deter predators)



Rare animal has teeth-like markings on its head uncannily like a human skull

Believed to exist in only five locations in the southern hemisphere



If prizes for Halloween costumes were handed out in the world of nature, this scary skull-faced creepy-crawly would surely win.

The extraordinary specimen is the larvae of the pink underwing moth, an endangered species fighting for its life in the Australian rainforest.

Luckily, photograper Lui Weber managed to snap the rare caterpillar, which is characterised by a set of teeth-like markings set between spots that look like eyes with large pupils and scare away predators.

Skeleton key... to survival: The moth's larvae has a natural defence to put off predators

Very creepy-crawly: The pink underwing moth is an endangered species only found in the Australian rainforest

THE PINK UNDERWING MOTH



The Pink Underwing Moth has a brown and black body and brown legs.

The forewings are about 60mm in length, grey-brown in colour and have white markings.

The hindwings are dark grey with a small pink patch and seven white spots along the trailing edge.

When at rest the moth resembles a dead leaf.



Found below the altitude of 600m in undisturbed, subtropical rainforest, the species survives on the vine Carronia multisepalea, a collapsed shrub that provides the food and habitat the moth requires in order to breed.

Lui said: 'Sadly this moth is very rare I only know of a single adult seen last year so I do not have photographs of the adult yet.

'This southern subspecies is listed as nationally endangered in Australia.'

All but one of the habitat locations of the moth are in south-eastern Queensland, distributed from Nambour to the Queensland-NSW border, but Lui says more discoveries are being made.

'I was only known to breed in a single location in upland rainforest however this year I have discovered another three locations and a colleague has located one additional site making five locations in total.'

The New South Wales government has placed the caterpillar on its endangered list.



'Potential breeding habitat is restricted to areas where the caterpillar's food plant, a native rainforest vine, Carronia multisepalea, occurs in subtropical rainforest,' it said.

'Adult Pink Underwing Moths require the darkness supplied by the vine and other rainforest vegetation in order to breed.'

The government is now investigating a breeding programme to increase numbers.



It's not much, but it's all vine: The species survives on the Carronia multisepalea vine

Halloween mask: The rare caterpillar is characterised by a set of teeth-like markings set between spots that look like eyes with large pupils

Survival: The unique caterpillar is fighting for its life and has been found in just five locations