Cup moth is any one of about 80 species of moths that live in Australia. Cup moths are small- to medium-sized, dark-colored, and rather stout. Cup moth caterpillars are rather like slugs, with their heads retracted under their bodies. They appear to glide over the foliage on which they feed because they have shortened legs.
Cup moths get their name from the cup-shaped cocoon of some species, such as that of the mottled cup moth of southeast Australia. The mottled cup moth can be a pest of fruit trees, such as apricots and cherries.
Most species of cup moths have bunches of sharp, brittle, stinging bristles. The bristles are normally folded away, but they are exposed and erected when the caterpillar is disturbed. Many cup moth caterpillars are brightly colored, with a bold pattern that warns would-be attackers of the dangers of coming into contact with the defensive bristles.
